A Rose Amongst Lilies
by GrimGrave
Summary: Being beautiful can be considered a curse; especially when your suitors stalks you all over Asia and back to England. Ivy X Harem; Talim, Taki, Seong-Mina, Xianghua. Rated M for adult themes/language.(OOC and AU)
1. Prologue: The Rainy Night

_Disclaimer_: _GrimGrave_ does not own Soul Calibur or the characters; they are property of _Namco_. Nor does he make any profit out of this.

"Talking"

_´Thinking´_

**A Rose Amongst Lilies**

**Prologue**

Year of 1591. Through the small crowds of the London streets, a black horse pulled a wooden carriage at a steady pace. Gray-black clouds covered the evening sky, and the rain was pouring down harshly. The sound of raindrops hitting the carriage was loud, but in a way, it almost lulled you to sleep.

For the one passenger, it already had. A woman with silvery white hair was gently rocked from side to side as the carriage slowly arrived to its destination.

A content smile adorned her face, her eyes blinking repeatedly as she awoke from her light slumber. With a tired yawn, the woman sat up properly , only to listen to the sound of heavy rain, and light thunder.

"Good old London…" The woman said, sighing with relief. She was home again, after being abroad for nearly four months around Asia, the woman was longing for her home. Merely minutes later, the carriage came to a halt. The side door was opened by a older man, who looked like he was in his seventies.

"We have arrived at the mansion, Milady." The woman nodded with a smile in return. "Lovely. Thank you Edgar."

The woman stepped out of the carriage into the rain, but it didn't bother her. Regardless, the old man now known as Edgar, unfolded the umbrella over her to keep her dry. The woman, standing tall at 179 centimetres, wore a British navy uniform and coat. Her hair was messy, allowing bangs to cover her eyes.

Eyes that currently stared at the mansion before her; it wasn't as big as one would image a mansion to be, but it was big enough. The woman smirked at the sight before her attention turned to a woman who walked up to her, umbrella in hand as well.

"Lady Valentine, welcome back. Preparations for your return has been cared for. Shall I take your luggage?"

Isabella "Ivy" Valentine simply nodded before walking in with Edgar holding up the umbrella for her the whole way until she was inside. At that point, he had fulfilled his duty and headed back to the carriage, and rode off as soon as the other woman had unloaded all the luggage.

"Home sweet home…" Ivy said in a tired tone as she walked up the small staircase, her servant following suite. "Does Milady desire a bath or something to eat first?"

Ivy chuckled. "A bath will do me good. I'll eat afterwards. I trust there has been no complications during my absence?"

The servant shook her head, despite that Ivy wasn't looking at her. "Not at all. We've been taking care of everything for you, as ordered."

"I am glad to hear it." Ivy said. "Leave the luggage in my bedroom while I head to the bath. I am in a desperate need of cleaning myself."

"Understood Milady."

"Aaahhh…. Perfect temperature. Well done." Said Ivy as she laid down in the tub, the bathwater engulfing her body with its warmth. Her three servants stood by the side, smiling for the praise they received.

"We're glad that you enjoy it, Milady. Is there anything else we might do for you?"

She shook her head. "Not what I can think of at the moment. I will call you should I need your assistance. You are dismissed." She said with a dismissive gesture, and her servants took their leave. Ivy on the other hand sighed loudly as she sunk neck-deep into the tub, arching her legs and arms in the water.

"By George, its great to be home again. No more searching, no more travelling…" She stared right up at the roof. "No more lunatic girls chasing you throughout the eastern lands. Honestly, what is it with their obsession and endurance to constantly following me? Oh, no matter." Ivy ran her wet fingers through her hair. "I'm free. I don't have to worry anymore."

She closed her eyes and sighed with content, once again listening to the sound of the rain and thunder from the outside.

::::::

The streets of London was almost devoid of people at this hour, but just a few yards away from the Valentine Mansion stood a group of four people, clad in black, hooded robes that protected them from England's heavy rain.

"Tch, I see you three managed to get this far as well. Suit yourselves, I'll happily beat you at the finish line." The first and tallest one said, earning an uproar of comebacks in return.

"That's MY line you hag! I don't see why you troubled yourself to get here when you obviously have no chance!" Said another, who was shorter, standing at 144 centimetres. The person next to her, who was slightly taller, voiced her objection as well.

"I'm with shorty on that one! Though she doesn't have much of a chance either. You three should just head back home to whatever countries you're coming from!" The centre of attention shifted now to the second-to-shortest girl. "Speak for yourself," The second-to-tallest now spoke. "If anything, the lot of you should be the ones backing off. I want to recall that I saw her first."

Another uproar and name-calling arose amongst the four cloaked figures, each one being confident that they would be the victor here.

The prize for gaining victory at this point was the heart and affection of the woman who thought she was safe within the walls of the mansion.

::::::

An hour passed, and the rain was still unmerciful. The light thunders echoed in the distance, creating a perfect atmosphere to relax and cuddle up near the fireplace with a good book and a something to chew on. After a successful dinner, Ivy had settled down on her couch, reading a good book while listening to the sound of nature outside. Relaxation washed through her like a calm breeze, and a smile adorned her face.

"Milady Valentine, is there anything else we may do for you?" One of her servants said in a respectful tone. The noblewoman eyed her servant with a faint smile before replying. "Not at the moment. I suggest you take the time and relax as well. I'll let you know should I change my mind." The servant girl nodded. "Understood."

Ivy continued to read her book, completely buried in it. But every now and then, her thoughts drifted off towards memories of the eastern world she had travelled; horrific memories, according to her.

"Tch..!" _´I wonder what those girls are doing at the moment… Hopefully they gave up once they truly lost track of me. Not that it should be a problem if they didn't, I'm on the other side of the sea! No… Calm down Isabella. You have nothing to fear. They might have scared you half to death with their talk about love and intimacy and God knows what, but you did it. You shook them off you. For now on, no more travelling. All I need is my books and a proper roof over my head.´_ The white-haired woman sighed with delight as she flipped to another page, the literature's words each being engraved into her mind as she read on.

The night had reached its hour of youth. Ivy put the half-finished book away with a yawn, slowly getting up on her feet before clapping her hands together loudly. "Margaret! Katherine! Anne!"

A few minutes later, the servant girl from earlier, along with the two others, arrived into the room, sharp and alerted. "Yes Milady?" Ivy smiled. "I'm heading for bed. Fetch some heated coal to warm my bed up, along with a glass of warm milk. Oh, and have a quick look to make sure the doors and windows are closed and locked."

"At once Milady!" The three girls said in chorus and hurried out of the room. Ivy did the same, but began to walk up the stairs to her room, drowsiness slowly getting a hold of her. Another yawn escaped her throat.

_´To sleep in a real, comfortable bed for the first time in a long time… I cannot wait.´_ She thought to herself.

The servants did their best to prepare the coal and the container, and lastly the milk. "You two bring Milady the coal. I will shortly arrive with the milk." Katherine said, earning a sharp nod from Margaret and Anne who walked off to their mistress. It took Katherine another two minutes to properly warm the milk, and once she was done, she had to spend another minute of cleaning up after herself.

With glass in hand, she began to make her way to the main stairs when there was a loud knock on the door. It continued without rest, and as loud as it was, it was impossible to ignore. "Coming!"

The knocking didn't stop, even as Katherine got closer to the doors. Finally reaching the knob, she unlocked and opened the door.

"Do you realize what hour it- … Is..?"

Before her stood a figure in a black hooded robe that covered everything. The servant let out a short yelp, taking a step back in fright. The hooded figure took a step forward in response.

" Nín hǎo! Wǒ qīn'ài de yī shā bèi lā jiā ma?" The figure said. It had a very light, feminine voice which surprised Katherine. "W-what…?" She asked. "I b-beg your p-pardon..?"

The robed stranger let out a giggle, and out from her robe flew a Jian* sword, pointing directly towards Katherine's throat. The servant let out a short, high pitch scream, now frozen in fear. The robed woman pulled back her hood and revealed her face; a brunette in her twenties, with pale skin and cute features and brown eyes. The woman giggled again, keeping her sword pointing at the servant with a smile.

"I said; Hello! Is my beloved Ivy home?"

* * *

_*Chinese blade_

_So, I had this lying around, so I figured I wrapped it up and uploaded it as well. I need to have it a multi-chapter story anyhow so I might as well write it off as a prologue._

_I have to catch up with my **Kagami Yuri Harem **story, but eventually, I'll get around to update this whenever I have time and motivation. I hope you enjoyed reading this!_

_As always, read and review. Criticism is always good._

_Oh, and to answer who the girls in this little romance are; **Xianghua, Seong-Mina, Taki, and Talim.** And **Ivy** obviously._

_Stay tuned for the continuation of **A Rose Amongst Lilies**. (Ivy's Harem)_


	2. Chapter 1: Valentine in Name Only

Disclaimer: _GrimGrave_ does not own Soul Calibur or the characters; they are property of _Namco_. _GrimGrave_ also does not earn money for writing fiction.

**A Rose Amongst Lilies**

**Chapter 1 - Valentine In Name Only**

"W-What..?!" The servant, Katherine, said, her voice on the verge of giving up. Tears began to find their way down her cheeks as the Chinese sword was still barely poking her skin. For every step she backed away, the foreign woman stepped forward with a smile that would send anyone a chill down their back. It was intimidating in a way.

"I believe my English was more than coherent. Now, would you be so kind and answer the question; Is my beloved Ivy home? Yes, or no?" The Chinese woman, smiling as she was, revealed in her eyes a look that was slowly loosing patience, and Katherine understood it well. She took another step back and was about to call out for her mistress until she heard a pair of high pitched screams from behind her. Startled, the foreign woman lowered her guard and lost her hold over Katherine, who immediately headed to the stairs; where Anne and Margaret was standing. The glass of warm milk now forgotten on the floor in the process, along with the screaming had caused a commotion.

A commotion which earned the attention of the Lady in the house.

"What in the name of George is going on here?! This better be important or else-" Ivy yelled out loud as she stormed out of her room and down the corridor until she reached the main area's upper section. At first, all she had seen was her maids standing on top of the stairs while looking in horror at something below. As she turned her head in the same direction to see just what the source of all the screaming was, she stopped dead in her tracks. Her heart skipped a beat in the horrific realisation, her blood ran cold and her face paled.

"No…N-No… You can't … How is it possible…? You can't be here…" Her voice, once one of command, had gone soft and weak. The Chinese woman looked up at the second floor and smiled widely.

"Ivy! Wǒ de àirén! I've missed you so much!" The woman exclaimed with a smile, and began to run at a high speed towards and up the stairs. The maids shrieked and made a run for their rooms while Ivy was still stunned in shock.

"X-Xianghua?!"

"Ivy, Wǒ de àirén! I finally found you! Oh the joy, to finally be reunited with you my little foreigner~" As the woman now known as Xianghua dashed towards Ivy at an incredible speed, the lady of the mansion had finally recovered from her shock and had begun to run as well, towards her room. It was in her room she had her weapon, and it was with her weapon that she could fend off her "attacker". If it was one thing Ivy felt she could be negative about when it came to her mansion, it was the fact that it was bigger than an usual house, which meant that the rooms were quite separated by corridors that in cases such as this, was too long.

The British noble ran as fast as her legs could despite the nightgown, but it was still not enough; the Chinese maiden was closing in slowly, but steadily and while the room was not far off, it was still too far away for Ivy to get inside and grab her weapon. If anything, Xianghua would catch up to her right at the door.

The door which was just a few feet away.

"No use in running Ivy-darling~!" Xianghua yelled, barely an arms length away from the silver-haired woman until a heavy kick to her side sent her stumbling to the nearby wall with a loud thud. Ivy, still set on running, only threw a glance back to see Xianghua slowly getting up to her feet.

"Tch! That hurt..! Who-"

"Pagbati! Hindi mo kalimutan tungkol sa akin ginawa mo?" Said another voice, this one also female, but definitely younger. Ivy, who was quite familiar with the different languages of Asia immediately knew who it was, to her further revulsion. The language was Filipino in origin, and there was only one person she knew who spoke that.

Xianghua jerked her head up in a flash, glaring daggers at the person who had recently kicked her; she was standing on the railing that overlooked the first floor with a graceful balance while shedding her robe. "Talim! You dare interrupt so rudely on me and Ivy's alone time?!" The Chinese woman said angrily, to which the Filipino cutie simply giggled. "Oh hush Xianghua. I am pretty sure I just saved my Ivy-_sinta_, rather than disturbed anything." With a childish grin along with a giggle, Talim jumped off the railing and leapt towards Xianghua, her dual tonfa-blades at the ready. "Ivy-sinta, stay where you are! I'll be right with you in a second!"

"Tch, its not polite to tell lies you know!" Xianghua replied, blocking the incoming strikes with her Jian sword.

Ivy, meanwhile, had managed to lock herself inside her room; her heart was beating so loudly, it echoed in her ears. It was beating at an incredible rate, the adrenaline was sky-high. She was a rather seasoned warrior, but the fear she had for these foreign suitors got under her skin, and it terrified her. With a few deep breaths, Ivy tried to regain her composure and focus her mind. She could take them on, if she only prepared herself mentally and kept a cleared head.

The sound of metal against metal was echoing loudly in the hallway; the two of them were busy with each other. The perfect time to interfere and hopefully end it all. Ivy took a final deep breath and began to walk over to the SnakeSword by her bed.

"As busy as they are, one quick strike should be enough to finish them off… I hate to do it, but enough is enough." She chuckled. "It was their own fault to begin with. Though I am curious as to how they managed to get here, or how they found me…"

"That's probably because they are good at tracking. Although I'm better." Ivy nodded. "Yes, that sounds reasonable. After all, you were always quite quick in finding me-" She stopped in her tracks. With a new feeling of fear crawling up her spine, Ivy slowly spun around with widened eyes, only to see absolutely nothing behind her. She turned back around to get her weapon when a pair of eyes met hers in the darkness, causing the British noble to shriek.

"N-No! H-How?! Not you too!" The figure chuckled and stepped up towards Ivy; the moonlight from outside shined in from the window, revealing the culprit. "T-Taki! How… No, don't tell me!"

"Ivy-chan, don't act so surprised. After all, you didn't loose me in Japan, and you certainly wont loose me here. I happily explain in detail how I found you, but we got more important matters to attend to…" The ninja appeared right in front of Ivy, taking advantage of the surprising element and grabbed her by the wrists with a sly smile. "Allow me to show you just how much I've missed you… We can clear out the vermin afterwards.." The Japanese beauty spoke in a voice of command, yet seductively. Ivy tried to kick and struggle but found that the ninja managed to block her kicks with a her own legs, rendering Ivy defenceless.

"Relax Ivy-chan… There is no need to fight back, not now.." Taki said, inching further and further towards the purple, soft lips that belonged to Ivy. "D-damnation! Stop it you lunatic! S-stop it!" Ivy cried out, struggling as much as possible to get out of Taki´s grip. The near future wasn't looking good. "Let me GO!"

Like a prayer being answered, Taki was sent flying across a great distance within the room, releasing Ivy from her hold. The ninja managed to dampen her fall, but the nearby furniture still made the landing quite severe and knocked her to the ground with a slam. Bewildered, Ivy looked around for her saviour, but instead felt an naked arm slither around her waist, clad only at the hand in a fingerless glove. "Ah~ My fair damsel in distress, have no fear…" The arm spun Ivy around. "Seong-Mina is here for your protection~" Seong-Mina flashed a wide, teeth-filled smile while hugging Ivy closer to herself, pressing their bodies together tightly. The silver-haired woman felt tears escaping her eyes, rolling down her cheeks as she mouthed a silent lament over her misfortune.

_´How in the world… This just cannot be happening!´ _Ivy screamed inside her mind while struggling against the Korean grace. _´That is IT! I will end this nightmare once and for all!´ _Ivy, being taller than Seong-Mina, tilted her head back and in one powerful swing, head butted her with enough force to send her crashing to the floor temporarily stunned.

Ivy leapt across her room, grabbing the sword hilt with a firm grip. With blade in hand, she swung her weapon around with both grace and viciousness as the sword-whip extended dramatically, increasing her radius of attack. The razor-sharp edges was almost cutting the air itself, flailing around wherever the whip was moving, to which the Asian girls found it hard to defend themselves properly. They were proficient in their respective styles of weaponry and battle-styles enough to deflect the incoming strikes, but had little to no time to go on the offensive and disarm their lovely British rose.

"If this isn't clear enough, I don't know what is!" Ivy yelled. She could hear her weapon clash heavily against each other, but it wasn't good enough; she wanted to either drive them away with fear, or slay them. Either way, she would be free of them. The barbed whip lashed out in every direction, barely giving the girls time to even get back on their feet. However, trained as they were, both Taki and Seong-Mina had managed, and was forced to back out of the room with a determined Ivy coming at them. "If you manage to survive, then take your two friends with you and be gone from my sight!"

"I-Ivy-chan! Calm down!" Taki said. "I understand that it must be hard to adjust, but believe me, its all natural! Just calm yourself and-"

"The Japanese she-devil is right!" Seong-Mina added, while simultaneously insulting and interrupting the ninja. "No need to blow a casket _yeon-in~_ Allow me to help you escort our uninvited guests out and then we'll can have a proper talk about this, just you and me~" The flirtatious smirk on the Korean's lips vexed Taki and Ivy alike, but quite quickly their attention was shifting elsewhere. Sounds of weapon crossing weapon and additional voices was drawing nearer at a rapid pace.

"Filipino skank!"

"Chinese prostitute!"

Taki and Seong-Mina, occupied as they were, turned their heads to glance at the commotion that was coming from behind, only to see two younger girls fighting wildly a mere few feet away, oblivious to what would soon collide into them. The disastrous Domino-Effect happened barely a few seconds later.

Seong-Mina and Taki, being pushed backwards down the hallways by Ivy, was met by a jumping Talim that was flying in the opposite direction; the Filipino girl realized about the situation too late and landed bottoms first on the Korean halberd-wielder. Who in turn flung the blunt end of her weapon, in a state of disarray and panic, right into the gut of the Japanese ninja. Taki, now suddenly hit right in the side while still trying to protect herself from the sharp barbs of Ivy's weapon, lost her balance and tripped backwards and landed right in front of a running Chinese woman. Xianghua, finally, was unable to see the sudden obstacle and fell forwards, face first, along with the Korean and the Filipino.

...

It all happened in roughly three seconds.

...

By the shocking surprise of the turn of events, Ivy had stopped her assault and simply stared down at the group of Asians that was lying in a somewhat heap on the floor. Despite her strong dislike and contempt for her stalkers, Ivy couldn't help but acknowledge the amusement of the situation; a drawn-out chuckle slipped out of her mouth, which soon evolved into a full out laughter.

"Haha..hahahah! Ahahahahahahah! S-Some warriors you lot are! Hahahahah! Honestly! What was- Ahahahah! T-that?! What a bunch of jokers you are! Hahahahahah!"

The laughter was loud, but light, and it echoed throughout almost the entire mansion. The maids peeked out from their rooms in order to see what the fun was all about, and the group of Asian-ethnic girls struggled to get back up as quickly as possible while trying to push each other down simultaneously. "Ugh.. Watch where you're going would you?!" Seong-Mina shouted out, using her halberd as support. "Now look what you've done! I'm the laughingstock in my darling's eyes now!"

"Hah! Please Mina, you were already a lost cause." Talim declared. "But at least you did something good for once, now my dearest's mood is lightened up. Now, if you harlots excuse me…" As the young Filipino girl was about to get up and walk over to her dearest, a hand swiftly held her by the wrist in a vice-grip. "Who exactly do you call a harlot you _jìnǚ_?!" Xianghua yelled out, greatly fuming over the younger girl's choice of words. Talim simply sneered at the Chinese woman and stuck her tongue out to further anger her. "Oh I'm so sorry; I meant to say streetwalker~ Just look at yourself, that short dress does nothing but scream "loose woman", and don't even get me started on Mina! Your clothing barely covers anything, hah! And Taki? Heh, I'll just let that tight body-suit speak for itself~"

"That's it, you Filipino skank! I'll rearrange your face! _Nappeun nom ui kkoma_!" Seong-Mina yelled furiously, grabbing her halberd with the intent to slay, while temporarily joined by the equally angered Xianghua. "Take this! The ancient style of Chinese swordsmanship!" Talim´s reply was a playful giggle as she parried the strikes with her weapons.

Meanwhile Taki, while infuriated, settled with a threatening glare towards Talim, remaining calm. _´No need for me to waste any strength or effort on those three. I'll let them battle it out and tire themselves while I can speak with my darling Ivy-chan in private…´ _The ninja thought with glee. She turned to face the British woman, only to be met with the scorned visage she wore. The four of them kept up their bickering and cat-fights for a few more minutes until the lady of the mansion finally decided to step in.

_"All of you! JUST! BE! QUIET!"_ She called out with a loud voice, full of command and anger that was impossible to ignore. The Asian group instantly shifted their attention towards their common love-interest, ceasing their current actions. "This goes for all four of you! Why on Earth are you here?! More importantly, HOW are you even here?! Answer truthfully and I may just give you a mercy death!" Her gaze was cold, yet threatening. Her voice dripped with venom, and her weapon was at the ready. The girls fell to the knees and bowed apologetically, grovelling.

"Its very simple," Taki began without hesitation. "I followed your tracks and gathered information from the harbour-town you spent the last few nights in. When I found out about the merchant ships, I sneaked onboard and continued from there. The rest of the tracking was quite simple, and I eventually found out you were quite famous. A noblewoman is easy locate after all. To keep a long story short."

"Uh.." Ivy cringed. _´Damnation! I underestimated that pesky ninja's tracking skills. But I didn't honestly think she would be able to pinpoint where exactly I lived!´ _Ivy stared coldly at the other three girls, eyeing them suspiciously. "I take it that the same goes for the rest of you as well? Poking around, searching and travelling for gods know what reasons!" The remaining trio nodded somewhat sheepishly, but Talim grinned with a boyish attitude, exclaiming. "As for me, I borrowed a boat and simply let the Winds guide me to you! Now _that's_ Fate!"

The British noblewoman deadpanned, sighing deeply to try and not blow a casket right then and there. Was there no end to their stupidity and stubbornness? She rubbed her left temple gently while pointing her sword towards the small crowd. "Fate and idiocy aside, you lot will answer me this; Why, on God's green Earth, did you begin to stalk me, from the eastern lands, to here? For what purpose could you possibly find the determination to hunt me down like a pack of hounds chasing a fox, to invade my home and assault me with your presence?!"

It was then the Asians looked up with faces that radiated goodness; their smiles, their light blushes that was perfectly decorated upon their features, the look in their eyes that screamed of affection and good intents. Simultaneously, they all exclaimed the same thing that both shocked and appalled Ivy greatly.

"**BECAUSE I LOVE YOU!**"

Ivy was clearly taken aback by the response; she almost lost her balance as she stepped backwards, trying to grasp the words and make sense out of the situation, their actions, everything! A tidal wave of emotions and feelings washed through her, creating a maelstrom that she couldn't calm down.

_´What?! Love?! I knew they were friendly and all, but LOVE?! They travelled from their homelands in the East, all the way here, because they __love__ me?! What is it with their stupidity?! I mean, I've read about lovers who literally do anything for each other in poems and stories, but in reality… Its just creepy and odd! I've barely spent a month in their respective countries, and… Tch, I suppose it all very flattering, but for Heavens sake; we are all women!´_

She stared down at the girls, fighting the urge to blush at the sight of their smiling, hopeful faces. "…You all do realize that we're women right?" The girls nodded silently. "So what gives you the idea that I would be interested in girls? Least of all, _you_?" Her tone was meant to degrade them by making them realize that they've missed a critical piece of information. To her surprise, the group either blushed and smiled abashedly, or smirked perversely at her.

"A gorgeous woman such as yourself, yeon-in, shouldn't waste yourself on a man; and unless you've tried it with a woman already, then there is no way for you to say that being romantically involved with another woman is something wrong." The Korean licked her lips at the silver-haired woman. "And even if you have tried, I don't think the girl in question was convincing enough~"

"It is quite common for men, be they of royal lines or not, to have male lovers on the side. Same thing would apply for women, such as you." Xianghua declared with agreeing nods from the rest. Ivy felt like burrowing her face into the palm of her hand, and just walk away.

"You want me to buy that garbage? Are you serious? I have _never_ felt the need to have female company of romantic purposes. Ever! And if by some damn twist of fate, I start lusting for women, it certainly wont be you!" To emphasize her point, Ivy spat at the girl's direction with a grim expression on her handsome face. "So, I did hear you out. Now _get_ out! Go back to homelands, and never darken my doorstep ever again!"

"No can do Ivy-sinta~" Talim said in a merry voice. "I bet I'm not the only one who spent whatever currency or goods we had to travel this far. Its not so easy to get back home now, since at least I didn't have any intention to do it in the first place." She giggled loudly, while the other three bashfully nodded in silent agreement, to which Ivy could only feel her irritation grow stronger. "That is not my problem. I never wanted you here in the first place."

"I beg of you, Ivy-chan!" Taki objected. "You are too rash with your decision! I admit that I may have been too forward as well, but that's only because of how strongly I feel about you! If you only would give me a chance, I will make you see that there is a lot more to it!" Ivy sceptically raised an eyebrow over the sight of the bowing ninja. "What kind of suitor would actually go so far as begging?" The ninja raised her head with a smile, her hazel eyes meeting Ivy's ocean blue. "I am begging because you are too hasty with sending me away. You barely gave me a chance before, I think it is only fair that you do it now."

The noblewoman felt like an arrow pierced her chest; the ninja did have a point, theoretically, but this wasn't normal circumstances. She was about to voice her objection, but this time the Korean interrupted her. "While I don't want to admit it, the Japanese dog is right. You should give _me_ a chance and we can get to know each other better. You wont be disappointed~"

"I don't _want_ to know you as a person any more than I already have seen glimpses of!"

"Pleeeeaaase Ivy-sinta! You can send those three away, but let me stay here! I promise to be a good girl!" Talim pleaded to the best of her ability. "I know our first encounter was a bit.. Uhm… unusual, but trust me that my heart is only in the right place!" Ivy looked at the girl with a solemn face; she knew that it logically would only be fair, but if these girls were capable of stalking her all the way to London, who knew what else they could pull off. Feeling that she was both outnumbered and out of options, she glanced over at Xianghua. "I suppose you're going to plead as well, aren't you?"

Xianghua simply smiled brightly and giggled. "I already told you that I love you. I am not going anywhere."

With a heavy sigh escaping her throat, Ivy eyed the group one by one, each giving her a smile and a look that was affectionate and lustful, innocent and heart-warming. For the moment, there was no way out of this. They had made their way through miles of sea and land, escaping was therefore pointless. But if things would go somewhat smoothly, she knew she had to put up ultimatums, create rules, draw a line. This was her mansion after all. Her homeland, and her house.

"….All of you, hand over your weapons." She finally said, to which the Asians looked at her quizzically. "Why do you want our weapons…?" Xianghua asked genuinely. "This is my house, hence my rules. Now hand them over, the lot of you." Without further questions, Taki was the first to hand over her dual kodachis, followed by Talim, Seong-Mina and Xianghua. Ivy held the tools of war in her arms, slightly inspecting them before letting out a sharp whistle. "Anne! Margaret! Katherine!"

The servant-trio hesitantly scurried out of their rooms to their Lady's side, careful to not make any eye-contact with or staying too close to the uninvited guests. "Y-Yes Milady..?" Margaret asked. Ivy nodded towards Anne and beckoned her over. Anne stepped forward, only to receive all the weapons in one go. Not too much of a problem, Anne was the more muscular one of the three.

"Take these weapons down to the basement. We will not be needing them for quite a while."

"Understood Milady." Anne said, and with a light bow, she excused herself and headed downstairs while Katherine and Margaret looked at their Mistress. "As for you two.." Ivy sighed. "Escort these…women, to the guest quarters. If there are not enough beds, give them a blanket and a pillow for them to sleep on the floor." She glanced over the group, who silently mouthed "YES!" and/or made small fist-pumps into the air.

"Y-Yes.. As you w-wish Milady." Nervous and confused, the servants decided quickly to not questions Ivy's demand. They began to lead the way for their guests to the guest rooms, but Talim stayed somewhat behind and walked over to Ivy with a wide smile. "As happy as I am for being allowed to stay here with you…I much rather sleep in your bed tonight~"

"Out of the question!" Ivy retorted. "Now get out of my sight!"

With a cute pout, Talim jogged back to the others, leaving Ivy in the hallway with her thoughts. The silver-haired woman rubbed her temples gently and began to walk back to her room. It was way beyond bedtime, and her need for rest had increased tenfold.

"I'll deal with this in the morning…" Ivy muttered to herself. She could chastise herself _after _her sleep.

* * *

There we go; another chapter of the IvyHarem saga. I hope you enjoyed reading it!

Until next time, please leave a review and stay safe!


	3. Chapter 2: The Valentine Brothel

_Disclaimer_: _GrimGrave_ does not own Soul Calibur or the characters; they are property of _Namco_. Nor does he make any profit out of this.

"Talking"

_´Thinking´_

**_A Rose Amongst Lilies_**

**_Chapter 2 - The Valentine Brothel_**

The bright sun rose over England, signalling the coming of morning that would mark a new day for the people to move on with their lives. A new day full of each and everyone's usual habits and routines.

But for citizen of London, this day would be far from her usual routines, nor would it grant her the relaxation she had longed for since leaving England in the first place. It was bad enough that Ivy Valentine had not been getting any rest from the night before; nightmares had haunted her frequently, sending her back to an awakening state, and she could've sworn that at one point she was even being watched. Which was fully possible after all.

Ivy ran her fingers through her now messier hair as she sighed deeply in irritation. Her Asian suitors of the female gender had during her travels prevented her to fully rest for God knows how long; and now they were her guests. The noblewoman shook her head and got out of bed; she needed to take a bath and wash her hair, so she at least could cleanse herself of the fatigue. She dared not to try and sleep now, when the others surely would be awake as well, and her servants wouldn't be able to fend them off from entering her chamber.

"Good grief…" She said to herself. "If this keeps up, it will be the death of me… Honestly, why on Earth would they even follow me this far? You would think that one would stop when they find out their object of affection is across the sea…"

The silvery haired woman carefully trotted down the hall, nearing the stairs. On the way, she gave three separate doors a light knock before walking downstairs to the bathroom. Once there, Ivy simply waited until the sound of footsteps reached her ears until she was certain that her servants stood behind her. She turned around and faced them, giving them a tired smile as she pointed at the bathtub.

"Prepare the bathing water if you would be so kind… And get started on the breakfast as well." The servants simply nodded with a simultaneous "Yes Milady!" and hurried along to get the preparations done while Ivy sat on a nearby chair and waited. She stared at nothing in particular, letting her eyes wander around aimlessly as she thought about her situation over and over.

_´This wont work. Its absolutely ridiculous and absurd! I cannot allow them to actually live here, can I? I must drive them away, there's got to be a solution! But how would I be able to… They are evidently persistent… And if worst comes to worst, they ARE good fighters, and that's a problem. Unless I sneak poison into their food! … Better not do that. I might have been called heartless and cold at times, but I don't murder people on a whim! But on the other hand, I really need to get rid of them. They will turn my lovely home into a battlefield with their ridiculous jealousy! By God I loathe them!´_

"E-excuse me Milady…"

"Hm?" Ivy responded. She eyed Anne with a quizzically look. "What is it Anne?"

"Your bath is ready, Milady. I also took the liberty to bring you a fresh set of new clothes for today." Anne smiled shyly at her Mistress as she held the neatly folded clothes before her to show. Ivy simply chuckled in response before adding. "Well done Anne. Good job, put them there by that chair, and fetch me a towel. Oh, and most importantly Anne, when you leave, make absolutely sure that none besides you, Katherine and Margaret enters this room." The look in her eyes told Anne that her mistress was deadly serious. "The last thing I need right now is for those horn-dogs to disturb me and rob me of my daily cleansing as well."

"At once Milady!" The servant left shortly afterwards, closing the door behind her and left her mistress alone in her bath. Ivy slowly felt her muscles relax from her brief tension and sighed contently, staring up at the ceiling while thinking over the situation repeatedly. Each time she did, no answers seemed to come - It was nothing but a blank piece of paper to her.

Deciding to let it go for now, Ivy returned to relax in the warm water, trying to think of more positive things instead, for example that she was home again; she had a proper bed to sleep in with comfortable sheets and pillow, she had her servants to care for her and so on. No need to worry about poisonous bugs and serpents or exotic diseases, just her good old mansion to provide everything she ever needed. It was like her own paradisiacal rose garden.

But naturally, where there are flowers, there are bees; bees that may sting you if you are not careful. In Ivy's case, instead of stinging her, the bees wanted to mate with her for the plain reason that they claimed to love her. Love her, as a man loves a woman. And it was that thought alone that caused the noblewoman to feel sick; while it was true that same-sex relationships wasn't uncommon for royalty that wanted additional bed-warmers, it wasn't Ivy's thing. She wasn't exactly looking for men either, but if she ever wanted to "settle down" sometime, it would naturally be with a man she told herself.

Ivy sighed. There was no telling what her life would be like now. With four unwanted female suitors now living with her, each as jealous and fighting-capable as the next, the British noblewoman knew that her life would be forever changed. For the bad or the good.

"I just wish they would understand that I want nothing to do with them and just leave… They call it love, but looks a lot more like they want to claim ownership of me like I was a trophy. Bloody Hell…"

She kept staring at the white ceiling. Still no answers.

"There has to be some way to drive them off…"

There was a knock on the door, followed shortly by an inaudible concerned voice. It seemed to be replied by an equally inaudible voice, but Ivy paid it no mind, thinking it was one of her servants. "Come in."

"Thank you! See that, your mistress didn't have any problem letting me in!" Said the overly chirpy voice; Ivy could feel her tension and fear hit return to her as fast as a lightning as she heard the voice, turning her head to, for the better or worse, confirm exactly who had just entered her bathroom, for it surely wasn't one of her servants.

Surely, Anne was at the door with an expression that was nothing but apologetic and worried, for walking towards Ivy was Talim, smiling widely as usual without a care in the world. "Good morning Ivy-sinta~ Room for one more by any chance~?"

"Get out!" Ivy yelled in anger, quickly covering her body with her arms and legs to hide her body. "You have no right to be here! Get OUT!" Her eyes shifted to the still fidgeting servant. "Anne! My clothes, NOW!" Ivy knew that she couldn't ask her maids to chase the suitors away; they didn't have any experience in fighting at all, they were just regular maids.

"Oh don't be so high-strung. I'll get your clothes for you!" Talim happily skipped over to the neatly folded clothes with Anne quickly running past her in order to get to them first; Talim resorted to sprint as well, beating the maid to it and snatched the clothes away. "See? A lot quicker if you'd let me do the honour.. So, Ivy-_sinta_, if you would be so kind and allow me…"

"Dodaecheige museun il-iya?!" A second voice, a lot higher in volume, shouted from the other end of the room. Everyone but Ivy turned around to see just who it was; near the now wide-open door stood the Korean beauty Seung-Mina, seething with anger. "What do you think you are doing with Ivy-_yeon-in _´s clothes you brat?!"

"I was about to help her get dressed." Talim plainly replied. "Until you so rudely interrupted us; you don't have any right to be here!" The Filipino girl winked at Ivy with glee, but it was mocking for the noblewoman to hear Talim repeat her words. None of them should be in here after all. "None of you are welcome in here when I'm having a bath! Now get out both of you!"

"Nonsense yeon-in! Give me one minute and I'll get rid of that Filipino harlot for you!"

Talim giggled hysterically at the Korean. "I'd like to see you try! I happened to be here first so if anyone is going to leave, it will be you!"

Their loud, obnoxious, verbal catfight was irritating to say the least; while Talim had basically thrown Ivy's clothes aside in order to perform random gestures towards her rival, the noblewoman's irritation grew stronger. Luckily, her servant had quickly picked them up and used the suitor's catfight as a diversion in order to dry off, and fully clothe her mistress without them noticing. In a fit of anger, Ivy stormed off to her dining room in order to get some breakfast and hopefully, some peace and quiet.

A foolish dream she admitted, but desperation knows no boundaries.

:::::

"Here you go Milady, your breakfast." Margaret said politely, presenting the plate of a proper English breakfast for the lady of the house. Ivy smiled, albeit weakly, and nodded in gratitude. "Thank you Margaret. I highly appreciate yours and the others´ efforts."

With a smile of her own, Margaret bowed and walked away. Ivy slowly began to eat her meal, still thinking about how her life had suddenly changed. Luckily the bathroom was far enough for her to not hear the catfight going on, meaning that for the moment, there was silence. Only the faint sound of Ivy chewing on the food could be heard while she thought to herself.

_´Isn't this just bloody perfect. The day is still young and I have already been disturbed severely! If that is any indication, I wont be able to take a bath in private anymore… And God knows what they will try for the rest of the day! Wherever I go, they seem to follow… Damnation!´_

A silent sigh escaped her lips.

_´What if they grow hostile and actually attack me? Its not like I can defend myself from all of them at the same time… If worst comes to worst, I may actually have to kill them. That shouldn't be a problem; they are unwanted guests after all!´_

"You seem troubled Ivy-_chan._" The voice was calm, but serious. Ivy didn't bother yet again to check who it was; she simply stopped eating and sighed in irritation. "Bloody perfect. As if it wasn't bad enough that my morning bath was ruined, are you and Xianghua going to ruin my breakfast now?"

"Its only me here." Taki said, stepping up to her love-interest's side. "And I certainly wont ruin your breakfast. Is it a crime for me to simply ask what's on your mind, over breakfast?"

"It's a crime that you stalked me back to my home and then invaded it. Along with three of your friends." Ivy said, glaring at the ninja that was peacefully staring back at her. "They certainly aren't my friends."

"I can hardly tell any difference, you all want the same thing."

"I have a lot more of a appeal than them." Taki winked at Ivy. "Besides, I want to remember that you were coming onto _me_ back then."

"It was my first time drinking sake." Ivy replied with a monotone voice. "And drunkenness tends to make you do _stupid_ things. I'm lucky that nothing actually happened! Also, you are standing way to close; remove yourself."

The ninja hesitantly stepped back a few steps, still looking intensively into Ivy's eyes with a smug mirth; it was a sense of perverted pride that was hidden underneath the surface of a calm exterior, one which Ivy did know about. Taki walked over the chair closest to her object of affection and sat down, still looking at her. "Unlike the others, I am not impatient, Ivy-chan. I can wait for you to eventually come around, and when you do, I will be there for you."

Ivy shuddered. "I really hope not. If I ever take an interest in women, and any of you four even, Hell has surely frozen over."

"That's a bit harsh àirén. Surely, the others deserve it, but why would you deny having a Chinese beauty by your side?" Said Xianghua, who walked to the opposite side of Ivy, equally smirking as Taki had been. "Forget about the Japanese dog and her tramp-outfit; what you would want is a woman with class, who knows how to behave. I want to remember that you enjoyed my company quite well back in China~"

"Before you decided to try and smother me with your homosexuality." Ivy sighed yet again, pinching the bridge of her nose. Now that Xianghua had arrived, it was only a matter of time before her breakfast would be ruined as well. In a sense of dry, sarcastic humour, Ivy mentally counted the seconds before either of them would fly off the handle and another catfight would ensue. _´Three, two, one…´_

"Keep your filthy remarks to yourself, Chinese whore!" Taki yelled out. "A woman with class? Besides Ivy-chan, I don't see anyone else around! Your rather short skirt leaves little to imagination, skank!"

"Watch your tongue ninja! Just look at your so-called clothing; its just another layer of skin! I can even see your nipples!"

And there it went. With an half-eaten breakfast left on her plate, Ivy got up and walked out of the room, trying to ignore the Asian women arguing with limited name-calling. The thoughts of either kill them all with food-poisoning or simply lock herself inside her room seemed more tempting the more she thought about it. After all, so far her day had started with a ruined bath AND a ruined breakfast; how on Earth would she be able to go through the rest of the day, knowing that her stalkers would simply follow her, try to swoon her, argue with each other and force her somewhere else, and then repeat the process. So with little choice, Ivy went back to her room, telling Katherine on the way to bring her a cup of tea.

::::::

With a hot cup of tea on the nightstand and a good book in her hand, Ivy could once again feel her muscles relax in the comfort of her bed. It had been nearly an hour since anyone had disturbed her, aside from her servants, and she silently prayed that it would last forever. It was to be considered a miracle that she even got a full hour to herself without the Asians, but she couldn't help but wonder what they were doing the whole time; did they actually behave and leave her alone, or were they still busy arguing?

Ivy didn't know. And she honestly didn't care. She only wanted to be alone with her book and her tea, enjoying the peaceful silence that accompanied her. Until there was a knock on the door.

She ignored it; if it was her servants, they would've let her know. Another knock. Still no reply, from either her or whoever it was that knocked. Third time, still no reply.

"Go away!" Ivy finally yelled. It definitely was one of her stalkers, and its not like she could feign to not be here; they would look around for her regardless. In her mind, it would be better to keep putting up a valiant defence and tell them off until it finally got through their thick skulls.

"Oh! Ivy yeon-in!" Said the voice from behind the door. "I'm lucky I found you! I'm coming in!"

"Please -!" Ivy began, but Seung-Mina simply walked inside, closing the door behind her quickly. "-…don't."

"I'm certainly lucky, no one else is here. I wish to talk to you, if I may?"

"If I say "no", will you leave me alone?"

"Not at all."

"Then what choice do I have…" Ivy sighed, trying to keep on reading her book. The Korean jumped onto the bed with a giggle, sitting right in front of the Englishwoman. "So.. What are you reading?"

Ivy eyed the Korean up and down suspiciously. "Something you wouldn't understand."

"Like what?"

"Literature."

Seung-Mina stifled a laughter. "Proves how little you know about me yeon-in~ I myself enjoy reading literature. For example, I've read the work of the famous Yeo Ok-"

"Who or what is Yeo Ok?" Ivy interrupted, somewhat interested in where Seung-Mina was going with this. The Korean giggled and continued. "She was Koreas first poetess, and her work is highly regarded. She wrote the poem _Gonghuin_. It means "A Medley for the Harp"."

"Is that right…" Ivy said, still surprised that Seung-Mina was into literature; true enough, she hardly knew much about her suitors, but she hadn't thought that at least one of them were knowledgeable about other things other than bedside-manners. It was a weird, but genuinely pleasant surprise which managed to bring a small smile to her lips. Having small-talk with Seung-Mina had proved to be something she could even look forward to.

"Its portrayal of love and dignity amongst the poor is what's making it very popular.. They can relate to it because of the truth it is telling… And the pain and loneliness of the woman who has lost her love…" She glanced over at Ivy, suddenly smiling slyly. "…is very similar to me. Wont you help me ease this pain, yeon-in~"

"Get out!" Ivy yelled. She felt like she was repeating this sentence too much for her own good, but she knew that Seung-Mina was on the prowl once again. "Here I thought I could actually talk to at least one of you in a normal fashion! Damnation, just get out of my room you brat!"

"Oh Ivy yeon-in~" The brunette said in a husky voice as she crawled up to Ivy. "We can continue to talk if you want… I am very good with _oral_ traditions~!" Seung-Mina swiftly crawled over the British noblewoman, trapping her between the wall and herself. "Oi, get off me you brat!"

She giggled, her face looming dangerously close to Ivy's, who could feel Seung-Mina's breath against her skin. Her lips was flawless and petite, her breath was unusually fresh, and she smelled of Korean flowers. For just a split second, Ivy wondered how her lips would've taste like.

But as quickly the thought had occurred, it vanished when Ivy felt her arms being pinned against the wall with the Korean smirking at her victoriously; she had let her guard down like a novice warrior, and it both shamed and angered her greatly, for it would cost her dearly.

"Seung-Mina, I will give you five seconds to let me go before I'll thrash you severely." Ivy said with a venomous tone. Seung-Mina simply giggled in response, clutching Ivy's wrists tighter. "Not until I've shown you the wonders of a womanly touch… OUGH!" Seung-Mina grunted as she suddenly was flying off the bed, landing on the floor with a mighty slam. While she squirmed and tried to get up, Ivy quickly looked to the other side of the bed; Taki, with an annoyed expression directed at the Korean had climbed onto the bed and seemingly kicked Ivy's assailant off her. "_Deoleoun gae _! Where did you come from?!"

Taki simply pointed with her thumb behind her. "Window." Her expression grew sour. "_Bitchi._"

"Speak for yourself Taki! How dare you interrupt my and Ivy's lovely rendezvous?!"

"What's this I hear about a rendezvous?!" Yelled a third voice, earning everyone's attention to the door that was clumsily opened, revealing Xianghua ready to storm in. "Ivy àirén, are you alright?!" Her glare shifted between Taki and Seung-Mina. "What are you two doing here, disturbing Ivy àirén!"

_´Oh no, here it comes…´ _Ivy thought, waiting for the inevitable verbal fight.

"Ivy yeon-in and I were just about to have a lovely moment for ourselves when this ninja-dog and you came and interrupted us!" Seung-Mina yelled. Taki simply scuffed and returned the icy glares that was seemingly thrown around between the trio. "I was _saving_ Ivy-chan from your clutches, to be accurate! As if my beloved Ivy would be swooned by your advances that are nothing but that of a rapist?"

"Rapist?! Oh that's rich, coming from someone who doesn't even respect her privacy by peeping on her due to your so-called ninja-skills!" Seung-Mina retorted. "Pervert voyeur!"

While the three Asian women screamed and argued at the top of their lungs, Ivy had departed the room and for the third time that day, escaped from raging suitors. Her day was proved to be a miserable one, fuelling her fear that it would be like this every single day. She feared that if it became true, she would loose it; lack of sleep, loud stalking suitors and no private space or time would eventually lead to her either loosing her sanity or die of a heart-attack.

Having successfully sneaked out of her room and down the stairs, Ivy decided to try one last time to get some peace and quiet in her now chaotic life; she headed to her garden.

It was a neatly trimmed garden with a beautiful sculpture right in the centre. Surrounding the garden was delicate roses and a small pond that decorated itself with lilies. A few oak-trees gave the garden a few means of shade for the summery days, but what Ivy sought was the stone bench. From it, she could get a good look of the garden with the pond, roses and at least one tree in one sight, and it calmed her down. All she heard was the birds chirping, the wind occasionally blowing past her, and the faint sound of horseshoes hitting the stone-cobbled road. She took a deep breath. Then another. And a third. It was as if her stress and fatigue was cleansed from her body with each breath, and it gave her a peace of mind.

A peace that was slowly torn apart as the sound of footsteps came closer until it stopped, and a hand was gently put on her shoulder.

"Needed some time alone huh?" The Filipino said, smiling warmly at Ivy. The noblewoman sighed in annoyance. "The purpose of having some time alone is that you are alone. No one else is with you. And now you arrived." Talim giggled; she removed her hand and took a seat next to Ivy on the stone bench. "I suppose. But I promise, I wont bother you. You're enjoying the silence out here, right? In that regard, we are similar. Back home, I used to spend hours, just listening to the wind."

"Oh God…" Ivy said dryly. "Look, Seung-Mina tried that trick earlier; feigning sharing a similar interest and in the next second trying to violate me, so just stop it. I rather be left alone so I can-"

"I am not like the Korean." Talim giggled again, giving Ivy a friendly pat on the back. "Give me a chance, please. We'll just sit here and listen to the silence of nature."

The British woman eyed the girl suspiciously. She wanted to believe her, but she knew that this would not end well, one way or another. "I know by experience now that if one of you shows up, the others are bound to follow. And they'll start yelling and name-calling and God knows what.."

"Perhaps. But if I leave you alone, someone else will show up instead. Someone who doesn't share your way of attaining peace." The Filipino said, looking into Ivy's eyes with a soft determination; Ivy felt herself give up. She knew that Talim was right, and closed her eyes. The silence of nature came back, and surprisingly, the minutes ticked away without anything happening.

She glanced over at the young girl next to her, who as well sat with closed eyes and did nothing. So they continued to sit around, only listening to the natural sounds that was around them. Ivy glanced over at the girl; still nothing. She didn't want to let her guard down, but she felt somewhat happy that Talim didn't assault her or tried anything else.

Ivy had lost track of time, but she was sure that they had been sitting there for almost twenty minutes now. Twenty minutes of quiet, and peace. As she was about to open her eyes, she felt a pair of hands cupping her cheeks lovingly out of nowhere; her eyes shot open, only to see Talim standing, soon straddling before her with a playful smile on her lips.

_´What?! When did she-?! How-?!´_

"Forgive me Ivy-sinta… But I think I deserve a reward for behaving so extraordinary well~"

The girl, the youngest of the suitors, pressed her small lips against Ivy's before the noblewoman could react or comprehend what would happen. When she finally could, she was left frozen in shock over Talim´s boldness as she kept kissing her directly on the lips while straddling her lap; she wouldn't think of it for a while, but the Filipino's lips tasted of something sweet. The kisses weren't fully open ones, but close enough to be considered rather adult like for someone of Talim´s age, fuelling Ivy's shock.

The Filipino kept kissing for nearly two minutes before withdrawing. She licked her lips in an attempt to savour the taste of the Englishwoman before giving her a last peck on the lips and got off her lap. Her smile was playfully coy. "I don't know about you, but at least my first kiss was with my love. I liked it~"

"Nani ga jigoku ka?! Anata baishunpu!" Talim quickly looked behind Ivy, only to see the seething ninja marching towards her with clenched fists. "You did not just do what I thought you did! You… You..!"

"Looks like the ninja wasn't fast enough this time." Talim chirped, still wearing her coy expression. "Don't be such a sore loser, _lumang bruha_."

"… did you just call me an old hag?"

"Give the ninja a medal, she understood when she was insulted." Talim giggled, sarcastically clapping her hands to further mock Taki. The ninja glared at the girl angrily until she noticed Ivy returning from her shock. "Ivy-chan! Please forgive me! If only I had arrived sooner, your beautiful lips wouldn't been defiled by this.. This harlot child!"

"She certainly didn't protest when I showed her my affection~" Talim grinned playfully at the ninja. "Jealous much?"

"Tch! Why you-!" She quickly shifted her gaze to Ivy. "Ivy-chan, allow me to cleanse you of the blight!" It was with these words that brought Ivy back from her shock; she knew dreadfully what Taki was implying, but before she could move even a sinew, Taki had already straddled her as well, locking their lips together and forcing the noblewoman to another state of frozen shock. She was just barely aware of Taki´s lips massaging against her own while a wet tongue coiled around inside her mouth. The ninja's kiss was a lot more powerful and shattering than Talim´s, but both had appalled her with dread and disgust; with every tongue-movement Taki made, Ivy felt her anger and disgust grew stronger. She was a noble, known throughout England, and a girl equal in status to that of a peasant, and a ninja, also with a social status lower than hers had now advanced on her like she was a prostitute.

_They_ acted like prostitutes! Prostitutes arguing over a customer, trying to sell themselves to gain what they wanted in their profession.

Taki finally stopped kissing her, and like Talim had did before, she smiled playfully while caressing Ivy's face. The Filipino on the other hand were pouting at the scene before her. "At least I got the first kiss…"

"Tch, and look how that turned out. You made my poor Ivy-chan suffer with your blighted lips! At least I could save her from losing her mind over-"

Taki didn't get to finish her sentence as she was thrown to the ground. Ivy, in a state of chaotic emotions, quickly got up and ran back to her mansion on swift feet. Talim and Taki tried to catch up, but Ivy had already gotten halfway through her mansion by the time they reached the door.

The Valentine mistress ran up the stairs, fuming, past her now scared servants who understood little of what had happened. She ran down the hallway with the intent to reach her room when Xianghua and Seung-Mina met her halfway, still bickering. "Oh! Ivy yeon-in! There you are, I was just wondering where you disappeared to! Shall we continue where we left off earlier?"

"Don't listen to her Ivy àirén, how about-" The noblewoman ran past them, leaving them clueless to her behaviour. Nevertheless, they followed her until she slammed the door in front of them, locking it.

Ignoring their attempt to open the door, as well as their knocking and shouting, Ivy dragged her nearby furniture to block the door too; in her state of shame, disgust and anger, she proceeded to block off the window as well, going as far as dragging and pushing her wardrobe in front of the window. She felt her strength leave her as she pushed it the last few centimetres, and fell to her knees. Her voice was dry, her breathing became heavy, and her emotions came crashing down upon her.

_"WHAT IN THE HELLISH NAME IS THIS!? A BROTHEL?!"_

With the last of her strength, she dragged herself up to her bed, collapsed, and let out a piercing scream, muffled only by her pillow. The day that had already become so disastrous was far from over.

* * *

Looks like there is trouble on the horizon.

So, I really hope you enjoyed the update on A Rose Amongst Lilies, and perhaps left a lovely little review to let me know what you thought.

Until next time, take care! And if I dont get another story/update up before January 1st, then **HAPPY NEW YEAR!**

- GrimGrave


	4. Chapter 3: Rage and Forgivness

_Disclaimer_: _GrimGrave_ does not own Soul Calibur or the characters; they are property of _Namco_. Nor does he make any profit out of this.

_Remember to Read and Review!_

**A Rose Amongst Lilies**

**Chapter 3 - First Comes Rage, Then Forgiveness**

Tired. Worn out. Short of breath. With a headache that felt like a hammer crashing down on her head. In her silence in the isolated room, Ivy clutched her head in frustration and in a vain attempt to ease the pain as she stared up at the roof - she wanted to think about what she should do, but nothing came. All she could think of was Talim and Taki kissing her forcefully, while Seong-Mina and Xianghua kept knocking heavily on the door. She swore she heard something tap against the window as well, but she had no desire to check on it. She was fine and safe in her own, isolated room; with a stroke of luck, they might just get the hint and leave. She had the right to dream after all.

For several minutes Ivy was force to listen to the sound of fists slamming against the wooden door, different voices yelling either for her or at each other. She wanted to scream back at them, but she knew it would be futile. If they could be persuaded to leave her alone, she wouldn't be suffering, as she would delicately put it, as she did right now. She began to toss and turn like she was asleep. Awake, but asleep - troubled.

_´They kissed me… Those two… they had the nerve to kiss me! ME! How dare they?! I ought to… I ought to…!´_

She clenched her fists. Her gaze was still directed towards her ceiling, but in her mind, she saw the images of the girls taunting her, mocking her even, with their advances, their flirts, their poses, everything! She carefully touched her lips - they felt like they had been tainted, in her opinion, and it sickened her. It wasn't her first kiss; she had been courted by men a few times during her youthful years. But none had kissed her in such a manner - unchaste, hungrily, passionate. A feeling of the person wanting to deliver a message with the kiss; "Make Love To Me"

Ivy quickly slapped her cheeks repeatedly to snap out of her trance. Getting up, she quickly tried to refocus on the situation she was in. She was safe from her suitors, but she couldn't remain in her room for the rest of the day. Or their stay. She would eventually get out, but by doing so she would endanger herself by literally throwing herself to the wolves that would devour her. In a sexual way.

The mere thought of the innuendo made her shudder.

_´I really ought to consider killing them if this nightmare doesn't end. Soon!´_

Then, she noticed it; with a feeling of dread crawling upon her spine, she looked at the door. There was no more knocking, no more voices.

It was silent as a graveyard.

Ivy carefully approached the door, leaning towards it with her ear - nothing. It was completely silent.

_´Are they gone…? No! This has to be a trap to lower my guard! They expect me to walk out so they can group up on me or something…´_

The noblewoman sat on her bed, waiting for minutes. Still nothing. Carefully moving the wardrobe slightly to the side to check her window; there was nothing there either. She wanted to feel safe, secure. But ever so vigilant, Ivy moved the wardrobe back seconds later. She began to go over her options; remain in her room until she died of madness and/or starvation. Escape out the window and seek refuge somewhere else. Carefully going out through the door and attack anything in sight. Go on a rampage in hope to scare off the girls while potentially destroying/damaging her home.

_´This wont do. At least one of them are disgustingly good at tracking, which rules out any escaping options. They don't have any weapons though - I could try and scare them off. Even if they outnumber me, I have the advantage with my sword. Yes, that could work. But if they actually try and work together… No, that's too risky. They might trick me and do God knows what…´_

The Valentine lady bit her lower lip in anxiety. She made her decision and grabbed her sword as she marched to the door, moving the furniture out of the way. Her hand grabbed the doorknob as she hesitated - she swallowed her dread and turned it very slowly.

_´Please don't be here, please don't be here, please don't be here…´_

The door opened up enough for her to poke out her head. She checked the right side first - No sign of the girls. She checked the left, nothing there either. She let out a quiet sigh as she carefully stepped out from the sanctuary that was her room, treading silently and carefully down the hallway. For whatever reason, it felt as if her mansion had become haunted.

Ivy held her sword tightly in her hand the entire time, keeping her guard up. She reached the staircase and slowly descended to the ground floor. Once down, she looked around, eyes and ears sharp to whatever sound or suspicious motion in the corners of the main hall as her feet took her to the direction of the kitchen, in the hope of she would find at least one of her servants. The door wasn't completely shut, allowing Ivy to gently push it open and peek inside. A few candles were lit on the table, but otherwise there appeared to be no sign of life, at least from what little she could see.

"Anne?" Ivy whispered. "Katherine? Margaret? Are you here…?" She stepped inside to look properly, only to see emptiness.

"Guess they are in their rooms perhaps… Back to the second floor then."

"No need to go back up, unless its to your bedroom Ivy-chan~"

To say that the scream Ivy let out was high-pitched in fear would be an understatement.

"Taki! Always with the sneaking! You-mmph?!" The ninja quickly covered Ivy's mouth with her hand, motioning for her to keep quiet. "Ivy-chan, please remain silent! Unless you want the others to find you." Her voice vanished in an instant - Ivy had no desire to alarm the others of her presence, but at the same time she wanted to kick and scream the ninja off her. Especially when said ninja started to peer at her with a smirk on her lips.

"That's it… remain quiet so we wont be disturbed. You and I have some catching up to do…" She said quietly. Her lips was hovering just barely far enough for Ivy to feel her breath against her skin. Ivy started to panic inside her head, for she knew she was in deep trouble; either Taki would advance upon her, or Ivy could break herself free, risking of starting too much of a commotion for the others to hear her, to which she would be back at square one. The ninja started to reach out for her body, clenching her fingers tightly against the skin through the clothing, causing a weird sensation to surge within Ivy.

_´What's with this… No, I refuse to believe it. Focus Ivy, free yourself! This ninja has nothing on you!´_

"You better let go of me right now, Taki. Or else..!" The ninja snickered. "We both know that you would've done something about this already if you were serious. Yet, you still stand there, allowing me access."

"I choose the lesser of two evils; I don't want the whole lot of you near me."

"That makes two of us then… Very mutual~" She purred out her words, much like a cat. "We wouldn't want to be disturbed…" Ivy struggled against her in pure spite, kicking back against the ninja's legs to gain space and to unsheathe her sword; its glistening edge barely poking the pale skin of Taki´s throat. "I wouldn't want you around me either! You are no different from the others; it could've been the slip of girl, or Xianghua for all that matters and the same filth would've been spewed from your mouths!"

"I-Ivy-chan… Calm down…!"

"To hell with it. I know I allowed you to spend the night, but I knew right from the start that it would be a mistake. I cant take two steps in my own home anymore without one of you, at least, pounces on me! I've had enough of it!"

"Ivy-chan… Do you… do you really dislike our presence here that much?"

"I don't dislike it. I loathe it!"

"… No. No, Ivy-chan. I wont allow it. I cant speak for the others, but I'm not going to give up; my feelings for you are too strong for me to deny."

"Don't even dare tell me that you love me when all you four harlots do is trying to bed me!"

"… You _are_ a rather feast on the eyes. To be honest."

"I agree with the Japanese dog~" Said a third voice suddenly with a giggle - Ivy and Taki both turned to the direction of the sound, revealing Xianghua leaning against the nearby wooden column. "You really are alluring. It makes it hard for us to not wanting physical contact with yours truly~" Ivy stepped back from the duo, pointing her sword at one of them at a time to keep them at bay. "Not you too! Damnation! Is the other two here as well?!"

"Just us for the moment I think." The Chinese said. "But if you keep shouting like that they probably will catch up within the minute."

"Damn…" Ivy muttered. With her sword still firmly pointing at the girls, she began to walk slowly to the other end of the kitchen - there was another way around the room she could take without having to get too close to the girls present. "I need to get the hell out of here. You two just stay right where you are, and don't follow me!" With minor effort, she opened up the door without looking and stepped further back. "Fight each other or something, I don't care. But you will NOT follow me!"

"Ivy-chan… Wait, please! You are spiralling out of control!" "I have to agree with Taki on this one, Ivy àirén! Do you honestly hate us that much-"

"Don't step any closer!" The noblewoman shouted; her suitors had taken bold steps towards her despite her efforts to keep them back, she swung her sword swiftly from side to side but to no avail. With every step she took, the duo took a step forward - mocking her attempt to escape their clutches. "I said don't step any closer!"

"Àirén! You're overreacting! We only-"

"Ivy-sinta~!" "Yeon-in!" The two voices emerged simultaneously; before Ivy could turn around out of reflex, she felt the weight crash onto her, forcing her to fall forward to the floor with a grim impact. Her sword, now far from her grip, could only reflect the fate of its mistress upon its glistening blade. An image of a white-haired beauty on the floor, surrounded by splendid eastern girls, exposed to their touch and admiration. She squirmed and wriggled, helplessly as a fish on land while the suitors barked insults between them, verbally fighting to help Ivy get up from the floor.

"I'll handle this, the rest of you just back off!" Shouted Taki, shoving Seong-Mina and Xianghua out of the way, only for said duo to shove their way back. "I think not! I will take care of yeon-in´s bruises, like a responsible person. YOU get out of the way!"

"The lot of you should've left a long time ago already!" Talim yelled out. "Look at the harm you've caused my sinta!"

"YOU along with the Korean harlot jumped on her from behind you brat!" Xianghua pointed at the young girl in spite. "That's enough proof that you cannot be trusted if you used such lowly tactics like sneaking!"

Their hands grabbed and groped every possible body part while trying to help Ivy off the floor, and jab at the rivals; tightly surrounded, Ivy had no other choice but to wait until it was over, or at least till she had a better chance at fighting back and escape. Whenever that opportunity would come.

IF it would even come. She was helpless, exposed, with no defence to support her. The hounds had gotten hold of her, with no intention of letting their prey run off. Amidst of the bickering pack, Ivy felt her will slowly collapse, her strength diminishing, and her rationality vanish. A silent sigh made its way past her throat, unheard by the girls as she stared at a piece of the floor, thinking over her situation yet again.

_´I keep getting beaten down by them… What on earth am I doing? Have I lost that much of my strength, my skill with the blade, that I let unarmed children get the best of me? This…´ _Her tired eyes shifted to Taki, the nearest girl. Her face, her features, they held a strong undertone beneath her outer allurement. Then, Ivy looked at Xianghua, admiring her physical definition of beauty, as well as Seong-Mina's and Talim´s. Behind their wall of skin and flesh was their core, their will and personality that had carried them all the way to the western world, just for her. As frightening as it was, it was admirable; and deep down, Ivy couldn't deny it. _´Love huh.. Its an easy thing to claim. To love someone that is. Even if they appear to be nothing more than harlots in heat, I guess they could be sincere. Damn it… They shouldn't be any match for me, even if they were to be united. So why am I beaten down..?´_

Another sigh made its way out, this time a little louder. The girls stopped their annoying bickering, eyes locked onto Ivy, filled with worry. "Ivy-chan! Are you alright?! Don't worry, I'll make sure-"

"Don't listen to the filthy dog, Ivy-sinta! I'll get you anything you need-"

"Enough! All of you… just be quiet." Ivy said in her now tired voice. "Just.. Just carry me back to my bad. I'm exhausted and I need to take a nap… Could you four manage to do that without causing a commotion, please?"

The young girls looked at each other. Their eyes were filled with hatred for one another, but they knew better than to deny their love's request. Without a single word, the small group carefully carried Ivy up, back to her room and laid her down on her bed, her head resting on the soft pillows. "…Thank you. If you please would be so kind and leave me alone for now, that would be most appreciated. And if you could also stop fighting each other and be civilized, that would be great." Ivy said tiredly, addressing the group with nothing but a tired gaze and a small motion of her limp hand. The girls, speechless and apologetic for once, simply bowed and/or nodded, slowly making their way out of the room to let their object of affection get her rest.

"One more thing…" Ivy said lazily. "I highly dislike your presence here. In fact, I detest that you are so stubborn and loud, and spewing out that obnoxious, sickening nonsense about love… But you all came a long way, just to relay that message to me. So I guess I cant chase you off." She paused, and took a look at each pair of eyes that was directed towards her before continuing. "I will probably regret it. And you people will probably end up ruining my life. But… Just wait a little while longer. And I will, in time, be able to give you an answer. Now be gone, an don't wreck my mansion."

With another motion of her hand, the girls left the room, allowing the mistress of the mansion to rest. Once they knew they were far enough, they all shared a few rounds of joyous squeals with renewed hope, unofficially entering a truce.

Ivy chuckled bitterly in her rest, a small smile gracing her lips. "Honestly. If there's anyone who is sick here, it ought to be me."

* * *

My apologies for the wait. I´ve recently taken up studies once more, thus I dont have as much time as I used to. And this chapter became alot shorter than I wanted to, but I hope you found it to be enjoyable regardless!


	5. Chapter 4: An Epiphany?

Disclaimer: _GrimGrave_ does not own _Soul Calibur _or the characters, they belong to _Namco/Namco Bandai _and as such, _GrimGrave_ does not earn money for writing this.

**A Rose Amongst Lilies**

**Chapter 4 - An Epiphany?**

_She felt the cool breeze gently caress her as it blew, her white hair dancing along its direction. The soft ground beneath her feet was exposed to her, no form of footwear clad on as she gently took one step forward at a time through a field of lilies._

_An endless field of lilies, as far as she could see. The sky was clear, and sun shined down upon her. A moment of peace, tranquillity and spiritual rest. _

_She couldn't help but to smile._

"_How long has it been since I last felt like this…? Not since before I began my long journey I believe…" She said to herself, taking another step through the sea of flowers. Slowly, on the bright horizon, she saw a silhouette; a clear marble gazebo, tall and proud amongst the flowery scenery. She heard laughter in the distance._

_Her steps increased in pace, the number of silhouettes growing within the gazebo. _

_People._

_Laughing people._

_They were all clad in white dresses. Spotless, bright and shimmering in the sunlight. Four people in total, wearing white dresses while laughing while lying across a vast, white sheets on a bed._

_They turned around as she ascended the small marble stairs. She knew them. Asian beauties that smiled at her, eyes glimmering with friendly lust._

"_Welcome, Ivy-chan~" Said the first. "We're glad that you joined us."_

"_Sit over here darling." Said another, her voice being a lot younger and cheerful. "We got wine and good company for you…"_

_Ivy felt herself let out a chuckle, her feet guiding her to the small group of girls that beckoned her with their delicate index-fingers. They urged her on silently, inviting her to what could very well be Heaven._

_Gently, they grabbed hold of her arms as she began to climb onto the soft bed, until she fell onto her back, her eyes on the clear ceiling._

_It had to be Heaven._

"_Welcome, Ivy-yeon-in…" Said the fourth voice. "Just relax… and let us ease your troubles… It will all…" Her lips travelled to Ivy's bare leg, brushing aside the edge of the white Victorian dress. The contact was soothing, yet exciting. Tingling, yet it crashed down upon her._

_She felt a moan betray her throat, another kiss upon her leg. "…fade away…" The voice finished._

_The other women giggled, a harmony of sounds. They crawled over the white-haired noble, their soft hands lightly touching any bare skin that was available, as well as leaving delicate, feather-light kisses that felt like a caress of silk._

_It truly was a piece of Heaven._

**::::::**

**::::::**

Ivy groggily opened her eyes, re-adjusting to the light of reality. She felt a soft pillow underneath her, as well as her expensive covers. The rays of sunlight basked the room in a mild warmth as she flipped over to her other side.

The sky was just as clear as her dream had been.

The few clouds that lingered on was slowly drifting away, revealing more of the endless aerial sea. She smiled.

In the distance of her mansion was a faint cluster of laughter mixed with shouting. Ivy chuckled; she could easily tell who was being pissed and throwing a fit by listening carefully to what language that was used.

Looks like Xianghua was on a verbal warpath.

"Honestly, cant they even remain calm on a beautiful day like this?" She said to herself, getting out of her bed in the process. Out of the room and to the staircase, she felt like she was reliving her dream; each step felt so gracious, and the heavy silence on such a bright day was creating an atmosphere that was, in her eyes, perfect. Flawless.

She heard their voices slowly grow higher in volume as she walked closer to the dinner hall; the silence slowly being replaced. She chuckled under her breath. It was as if this was normal every-day occurrence, and she enjoyed it. To her mild surprise and disgust, but she brushed it off. It was like her dream had lifted that thick mass of worry, angst and anger off her shoulders. Even as she pushed open the thin door and stepped inside the vast room.

Ivy froze on the spot, her eyes fixated on what was in front of her.

Around the dinner-table sat her suitors, and while they did seem to argue, they could behave in a manner that didn't include throwing various object, or flipping over the table. They actually sat down, and ate what looked like lunch. Her servants, nearly running willy-nilly around them didn't even notice the arrival of their mistress. Until Talim exclaimed loudly while waving her arms around.

"Oh! Ivy-_sinta_! There you are! Did you have a good rest?! Do you need anything?! Please, have a seat over here!" She yelled, prompting the others to turn their heads towards the newly arrived mistress of the mansion. Lips were curled upwards, eyes began to shimmer and suggestive motions arose as to beckon the noble to their respective sides.

"Did you sleep well, Ivy-chan? You must still be tired, so please have a seat… I'll happily give you a massage to help clear your stress.." Taki said, winking over to the white-haired noblewoman who only chuckled in response as she made her way over to her own seat at the table. The girls watched her with a silent hunger, but remained still.

_´Guess they actually listened to what I said earlier… Lets just pray that it lasts as well.´ _Ivy mused, oblivious that a servant had already brought her lunch with a glass of red wine. A pleasant surprise to say the least, even if she was being gawked at by four women who in the long run only wanted to take her roughly in bed, performing God knows what.

"It was quite a nap, if I may say so myself." Ivy said with a smile. "And well-needed. You four are fully aware that all you've done so far is building up my stress, yes?" She had to stifle a chuckle as the girls simultaneously averted their eyes in mild shame, occasionally poking their bits of food timidly. "I do feel better now though, so you all can breath out." Ivy sipped her wine, carefully eyeing the suitors that now went back to shoot back smiles towards her, albeit with lustful intentions.

_´Strange, isn't it?´_ Ivy thought again. A piece of her well-cooked food went into her mouth. _´Had it been earlier, I wouldn't even be wanting to eat in the same room as them. Yet, here I am. Strange how your life quickly take turns. It couldn't be…´_

She sipped her wine again, allowing the small amount of liquid leave its rich taste on her tongue before being swallowed. _´… An epiphany…? Could that be what that was..? I do feel more… comfortable around them now… No, that's preposterous, right?´_

"You know, yeon-in.." Seong-Mina said from her seat. "If you wouldn't mind… I wish to continue where we left off earlier… and I do mean the literature before you ask~" The rest of the women shot the Korean dark glare, before swiftly turning back to Ivy, eager to convince her to pay just them attention.

"Ivy-sinta, wouldn't you rather spend the lovely day with me, like you did before? I'll promise to be good." Talim said with a small wink. "Just you and me, enjoying the outdoor beauty."

"_Bakagete wa ikemasen!" _The ninja spat out, giving the young Philippine girl an evil eye. "Ivy-chan, if I may interrupt… Surely, wont you think this through thoroughly and consider spending this beautiful day with me? I would be deeply honoured…" Taki´s hazel eyes radiated mirth, but the way her nipples was poking against the skin-tight suit could only mean that there was something in the back of her mind that meant otherwise. Lastly, Xianghua voiced her objection, as well as affection.

"Forget about them, my darling~ You and I should have a picnic, just the two of us."

And that was the signal. Once again, the girls began to shout insults and hostilities towards each other as their hatred for each other re-surfaced. Though, to Ivy's surprise, it wasn't nearly as bad as it used to be; the venom of their ill intent was still dripping from their words, but their voices wasn't as loud as before. Nor was there any throwing stuff around, or sudden attacks.

It was a welcome sight.

As they bickered and barked, Ivy tried to ignored her surroundings and simply eat. Slowly, the noises drowned out and she felt at peace again, enjoying the taste of her food, the freshness of her wine. It allowed her to think clearly again, as if she never had been home invaded.

How her carefree her life had been before, that was an interesting thought. When she only had to deal with suitors that wasn't nearly as persistent as these. And that they were _men_. Now, she had foreign women in her own home, who wants nothing more than to claim her as their lover. They were so hell-bent on claiming her heart, it could make a perfect game of Battle Royale. Winner takes it all.

She chuckled darkly at the thought. Now that was an interesting idea, albeit it was sick and twisted. But, there was something to it, in a way. Maybe if she tweaked it a little…

"Ivy-chan?"

The noblewoman snapped back to reality, her teal-coloured eyes lingering on each girl that eyes her back with curiosity, and worry.

"Ivy-chan? Are you alright…?"

"Yes.. In fact, I've never felt better." She replied, allowing a genuine smile to adorn her features. "I was just thinking… And this may just be a silly idea, but I think I had an epiphany earlier."

The Asian women felt curious, some arching their brow. "What do you mean yeon-in..?"

"Oh, nothing I guess…" Ivy replied, sighing ever so lightly. "But, seeing that you four don't know when to give up or get along too well, I just thought of something… Though it requires your agreement on the terms, so to speak." She paused, eying each girl with a smile that flushed their cheeks.

"I did agree on giving you all a chance… And I am a woman of my word. But to avoid any unnecessary bloodshed, I propose a simple lottery to determine, in order, who I will court first, then second and so on."

She scanned the suitors again. Their paralyzed faces of euphoria was nearly priceless. But also downright creepy.

"Wohoo! Im SO gonna win this!" Seong-Mina shouted, squealing with joy from her seat whilst being joined by the others who had similar thoughts about themselves. The room was filled with their joyous uproar of upbeat self-esteem, ignoring Ivy's tries to keep them silent so she could move on. "Well, Im glad you are supporting that idea, but.." She paused again. "There are those agreements I mentioned. They are simple, so you shouldn't have a hard time obeying them. And that is that whoever is courting me is NOT to be disturbed by the others. No joining in, no interference, and no dirty tricks. Its over when I deem it to be over." Another pause. "Is that understood?"

"YES!" They cried out in unison, each girl being confidant that they would be first to go. Ivy let out a nervous chuckle; she could see in their eyes how they wore a facade to hide their true intentions, but she remained strong. "That's great… well then, Katherine!"

The young servant hurried over to her Lady's side. "Yes Mistress?"

"Fetch me quill and paper, please."

"At once Milady!"

After a few minutes had passed, Katherine returned with eager. Placing the paper and quill with a small ink-bottle as well in front of Ivy, she hurried back to her co-workers as Ivy dipped the tip of the quill in the ink, writing down the names of her suitors.

She tore the paper into four pieces, folding them neatly. "If you haven't guessed already, I've taken the liberty to write down your names on these pieces of paper. I will now draw one on random, after mixing them around within the palms of my hands. Who will be the lucky one?" She finished with a grin as she shook her clasped hands. It was enjoyable to see the girls so nervous yet so confidant at the same time; a parallel upon their visages.

After having shaken the folded paper-pieces for nearly a minute, she stopped. Ivy carefully, without looking, let her fingertips pick one out of the bunch.

She put the others away on the table, teasingly and slowly unfolding the paper she had picked. She arched an eyebrow, but grinned nonetheless. It was actually fun to do it this way, seeing that she herself couldn't possibly just pick one over the others consciously.

Ivy flashed a toothy grin towards the suitor in question, making her cheeks grow a healthy shade of red. "Congratulations."

* * *

Looks like Ivy is coming around! Who was the winner huh?

Until next time, see you then! With a longer chapter of course!


	6. Chapter 5: Game of Kisses part 1

Disclaimer: GrimGrave does not own Soul Calibur or its characters; they belong to Namco Bandai. GrimGrave does not make money out of writing fiction.

**A Rose Amongst Lilies**

**Chapter 5 - Game of Kisses**

The sun was still high up in the sky, creating a lovely weather for those who wished to be outside. The wind was refreshing and faint as it blew across the garden, washing over Ivy's handsome face with gentleness.

Clad in her tomboyish attire consisting of a navy-blue uniform with pants, white high-heeled boots and white gloves. All adorned with golden ornaments along the shoulder pads and boots while her hair was combed back neatly, finished with silver earrings of a traditional heraldic symbol of England, the Tudor Rose.

She never would've thought she would wear this attire for a date. Especially when being courted by a fellow woman. But here she was, waiting in her garden for her woman, with the sun and breeze cascading on her on this beautiful day. It felt like a dream. Not an especially pleasant dream, nor was it close to being a nightmare. It was just a dream. A figment of imagination.

And yet, she allowed herself to smile. She looked forward to see her date, to walk around the streets of London by her side and show her the wonders of the western world. A tempting idea indeed.

Ivy chuckled. "Things sure changes quickly, don't them? It wasn't too long ago I cursed their existence… Though I would be lying if I said I wasn't… at least _somewhat_ intrigued of them. If only a little. I suppose this will be an at least sporting chance for them, and me."

Her azure eyes glanced up to the blue sky. Not a cloud in sight. "I suppose the Twisting Blade of Solitude won't be a fitting title anymore, huh…?"

She heard footsteps behind her. "S-Sorry to have kept you waiting…" Said her date´s voice, beckoning Ivy with the gentle voice. The white-haired noblewoman turned around with her small smile; a small smile which she lost as her jaw unhinged by the sight of the beauty before her.

Her raven-black hair was loose from its usual ponytail, falling down on the woman's back like streams of black silk. Her snow white face was neutral in emotions, but the hazel eyes, adorned with light scarlet eye-shadow and ruby lips created a foreign beauty within itself. Once Ivy could tear her eyes from the radiant features, she noticed the long, elegant robe of turquoise colours, with its orange-and-red patterns of flowers. The robe was tied together by a black-and-white striped sash. Lastly, the petite feet wore wooden sandals.

The noblewoman felt her throat dry up. She couldn't believe what she was seeing, but there was ultimately no denying it. She stifled her gasp of amazement and tried to force upon herself a grin. "I see you brought quite the wardrobe with you, _Taki._"

The ninja let out a low laughter, but remained in composure. "I was very determined, Ivy-chan. I still am. There are several aspects when it comes to love, and this…" She gestured at her clothing. "is but one of them. Through blade and muscle, I will show you my strength and devotion. And with this," She gestured at herself again. "I will show you the purity, sincerity, and beauty of my love towards you."

Ivy averted her eyes. She didn't need a mirror to notice the warm blush that crept onto her face when she heard Taki´s words. It was embarrassing to hear them because of the cheesiness, but she would be lying if she said that they didn't affect her. Never had anyone said something so thoughtful to her, it was almost foreign to her.

She let out a distracting cough. "I s-see. Very well then, l-let's not idle here for much l-longer!" _´Damnation upon my stuttering! Get a grip!´ _

Taki smiled warmly at her hostess. "As you wish Ivy-chan. Where to?"

"I have a few places in mind…" Ivy replied, having regained her composure. "It's all fine and well that you travelled over here just for me, but there is a lot more to see than me." She lowered her voice. "Especially if you might end up staying here permanently.."

"What was that last part Ivy-chan?"  
"N-Nothing! Let us move already; I have a certain d-destination in mind!"

"If you say so." Taki responded cheekily. "Ivy-chan?"

"Yes?"

"You look very handsome." Taki said with an averted gaze. She managed to look back for a few seconds, hazel versus azure, before Ivy looked away with her flushed cheeks.

"…And you look absolutely divine, Taki."

Ivy offered her arm to the Japanese beauty, letting Taki wrap her arm around Ivy's, due to the noblewoman's more masculine role, and led her out of the lush garden.

**:::::**

"This stinks!" Talim said with a heavy frown as she paced around the living room. Once Ivy had announced that Taki had been the first one to date her, it had been nothing but frowns all around. At the table, Seong-Mina and Xianghua simply sat and pouted over the fact that the ninja was currently with Ivy. Deities above knew what they could be doing right now.

"I have to agree with the short one." Seong-Mina said solemnly, earning a pout from pigtailed girl. "It is a very rotten misfortune that it was not my name that she picked. Damn it..."

"Speak for yourself, Korean harlot." Xianghua muttered. "It should've been me..."

"You are both wrong." Talim responded from across the room. "Stupid ninja and her stupid tricks… She must've used a trick of sorts! How else could she be the winner?!"

"E-Excuse me..." Said a fourth voice. The three Asian girls quickly turned to the addition of their little circle, which turned out to be the servant Anne who timidly tried to look them in the eyes. "Y-You shouldn't say such things… M-Mistress Ivy is very b-bright. She wouldn't fall for tricks…"

The Korean arched an eyebrow. "You´re one of her servants, no? How long?"

"F-For six years…"

"Interesting…" Seong-Mina continued. She got up from her Victorian armchair and walked over to the servant of shorter height, smirking. "You must know her well then. At least to a good extent." She gently grabbed Anne by her hands. "I would love if you could tell me what you know. What is she like in private? What books does she usually read? Has she a specific type when it comes to women?" Anne looked flabbergasted.

"W-what?! I- I d-don't know! I m-mean yes I k-know b-b-b-but-!"

"Hey, that's cheating Seong-Mina!" Talim shouted as she rushed over. "Don't listen to her! What you should do, is telling _me_ of Ivy-sinta! What kind of outdoor activities does she enjoy the most?"

"Would you two please stop! Look at her; you're scaring the poor girl!" Xianghua said sternly. "Ignore them. They don't know how to behave. You should go and relax a little. But first, does Ivy-àirén have any particular preferences when it comes to dress codes?"

Anne shrieked in tears. "M-Margaret! K-Katherine! Help!"

**:::::**

Ivy felt her heart swell with pride. She glanced over at her date, who was still receiving stares from the public, and grinned. Taki was mesmerised by the sight before her, her mouth hanging slightly ajar whilst her hazel eyes widened in amazement. Ivy knew she had done the right thing to take the ninja here.

"What do you think? Completely different from what you are used to see in Japan I take it?"

"It certainly is breath-taking." Taki replied. "What is this magnificent place?"

Ivy chuckled. "This is St. James´s Palace. It is the house of the royalty that governs England, but many ceremonial court functions are held there very often."

"Amazing… Could... Could we take a closer look?"

"Afraid not. Though I am a noble, no one can just walk in unannounced. It is not open for the public; they are left to admire it from afar." Ivy said, tugging a little on her arm to get Taki´s attention. "However, I know of another place we can see up close. Follow me."

They continued to walk through the cobblestone streets of London, ignoring the staring crowds that eyed them both, though mostly due to the foreigner. He attire, her appeal, and the fact that THE Ivy Valentine was walking together with her.

"Ivy-chan…" Taki whispered. "Are your people always this… Gawky?"

"We don't have geishas here, Taki. I assumed that's what you are dressed as anyway. Regardless, you and your clothing stick out quite a bit from the English norm."

"I see. Let them gawk then. Your eyes are the only ones I care about…" The ninja cooed, hugging Ivy's arm tightly as they walked. The white-haired noblewoman didn't even care to hide her blush anymore. It would reappear just as quickly anyway. _´Wont she stop with those horribly cliché lines of hers!´_

Ivy cringed, if even just slightly. Deep down she appreciated that words of affection was spoken to _her_, and that they were sincere. It made her feel appreciated and loved, but it would require a lot more to bring her down such a state to admit it. So with linked arms they walked, down the streets in the downpour of sunlight until they reached their destination.

The healthy green bushes decorated the sides of the small path, leading to a vast, wide garden of neatly trimmed grass. The few trees around were big and might, providing ample shade with its covered branches. Scattered across the vast garden was benches and tables, some occupied by people.

The raven-haired woman gasped. "Reminds me of the shoguns private gardens… I only saw them from afar, but still… Never did I think the western world was capable of such beauty." She said with a low voice, but Ivy heard. She smirked at the woman beside her.

"If only you knew… Anyway, shall we head in?"

"Are we allowed to?"

"St. James´s Park was recently opened up for the public, though it is mostly the nobles that visit it. Come." She tugged on her arm to get Taki going. "We can sit by the shade over there."

Once they reached the bench, Ivy, like the "gentleman" she was, helped Taki to her seat and followed shortly. The sun was shining above them, but the shade shielded them from its scorching rays as they sat on the bench, joined by their hands of entwined fingers.

"So, how do you feel?" Ivy asked out of nowhere. Taki looked back at her with her brown eyes. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, how do you feel after having adjusted from Japan to here. The lifestyle is vastly different, and I noticed during my stay that you use those … wooden sticks. Our utensils must look weird to you."

The ninja giggled. "I had my worries, yes. But a ninja must be able to adapt to any situation, and I like to think I can stretch that rule somewhat to these situations. Besides…" She inched closer to Ivy. "If it is for you, then I definitely will pull through. Weird utensils or not."

Ivy stifled a laughter. "Yes, well… There is a lot more to it than utensils, I assure you. But are you really fine with going here? Just to try and win my heart? What about your own home?"

Taki stiffened slightly under her robe. She sighed. "I do not have a home. I was chased out by my clan-members. Therefore, I do not have anything that ties me down to my homeland. Not enough at least. But I don't regret it Ivy-chan. Just sitting here with you have given me new experiences, and a chance to make you understand me better."

"…" Ivy looked at Taki with a mild gaze. "There's more to the story isn't it?"

"Yes. But, I do not wish to ruin the moment."

"I understand." She gave the ninja´s hand a gentle squeeze, sharing the tranquil late afternoon with her date. She found it amusing how, despite her initial reaction she actually enjoyed the concept of courting these ladies.

**:::::**

The sky had changed colours over the timespan the couple had spent so far. From the clear blue had emerged a reddish tint as the sun slowly passed to the end of its cycle. Hand in hand, the two women walked down a flowery cobblestone path with rich trees to their left, and a mighty river to their right.

"I have never seen such a wide river before… It… It could easily cover at least half of my clan´s village!" Taki exclaimed, once again struck with amazement over such foreign landmarks. Ivy chuckled beside her.

"That is the River Thames. And while its width is impressive, it's the size that is truly baffling. It runs through many cities across England, all from its tributary river Thame."

The ninja gasped yet again. "A mighty river… Impressive."

"Don't I know it. Still, if we walk along its edge, we should soon reach my mansion." Ivy said with a hint of regret. She had enjoyed spending time with Taki, but it was only fair that she gave all her suitors' equal time. And by the way the ninja was pleadingly looking up at her, she could tell that the regret was mutual.

"Does it have to end here? I… I don't want to separate from you just yet…"

"There's still some time to share as we walk home Taki. Let's treasure it, yes?" She felt the raven-haired woman squeeze her hand gently. "Yes!" She exclaimed.

"So, Ivy-chan… If I may be so bold, do you have a full name? Or, a secondary name perhaps?"

The white-haired woman arched an eyebrow at the ninja. "Hm? A full name?"

"Yes. _Ivy_ is the name of vines that cling onto surfaces like whips, and judging by your weapon, I can guess that's where you got your nickname. Or is it really your birth name?"

Ivy didn't answer at first. It wasn't a too personal question to answer, but she had remained as _Ivy Valentine_ since late childhood. Barely anyone knew of her real name, but if she was to actually be together with one of her suitors, then wouldn't it be better if right if they knew? She sighed a little as they walked, trying to avoid eye-contact until she was done thinking.

They walked down the flawless path. The mighty river water shimmered with the natural lights that slowly began to appear above. The flowers that adorned the area around the trees gave off rich scents that mixed together with the salty water aroma, and the atmosphere of the evening.

"Isabella." Ivy suddenly said, breaking the prolonged silence that had befallen them, just as the mansion came into their view. "My name is Isabella Valentine." She glanced over at Taki, who smiled back at her with a face that beamed with love.

"A beautiful name for a beautiful woman…" She said, her smile widening as Ivy looked away, red cheeks flaring up in the process.

"Anata wa watashi ga subete yarinaosu anata no tame ni ochiru yō…" She whispered lowly, aware that Ivy didn't hear her. "Watashi wa anata o aishite…"

**:::**

"I guess this is it then?" Taki said as they reached the front door. Ivy chuckled. "Yes, our date ends here. I need to give the others a chance as well."

"I see…" Taki said with a sigh. "Still. I'm confident that your heart will choose the right one in the end." Ivy arched her eyebrow with a small smile. "And that _right one_ would be you then?"

"Of course! Who else?" The ninja replied, smirking. "Still, I suppose I won't see you again for the rest of the evening?"

"Most likely not."

The raven-haired woman smiled slyly. "Goodnight kiss?"

Ivy stared at Taki in irritation very briefly, before an idea came to mind. She returned the sly smile, gently cupping Taki´s chin. "Well, you did behave extraordinary today… And I did enjoy our time together."

"R-Really?!" Taki exclaimed. Ivy didn't reply, but leant in closer towards the ninja, prompting her to close her eyes. Taki felt her heart beat loudly as Ivy's breath hit her across the lips. Just a little more…

She felt her lips make contact with her cheek. Her eyes snapped open to see a grinning Ivy stepping away from her towards the door. "Don't push it darling." Ivy said. "I had fun, but I don't expect something like that to happen so soon."

Taki frowned playfully. "I feel cheated."

"Don't be a sore loser. After all, I had a golden opportunity to spend the day with a beautiful woman, and I highly enjoyed that time."

They didn't say anything else. Sharing a smile, they walked inside the mansion, holding hands for the last few seconds before they let go, and Taki beginning to ascend the stairs. But before she reached the second step, she quickly spun around, and ran back to a puzzled Ivy. She reached up and gave the noblewoman a light kiss on her cheek, mirroring Ivy's action earlier and ran back up.

"W-What was that for?!"

Taki grinned back at her. "Consolation prize."

Ivy couldn't help but to chuckle as her fingers trailed across the spot, watching the ninja disappear into the second floor. "Idiot…"

"Milady!" Katherine exclaimed as she hurried over to her mistress. "You have returned! How did it fair?"

Ivy laughed lightly. "It was not what I expected. It was good." She said with a smile which was shared by Katherine. "Katherine dear, do you by any chance have the rest of the bits of paper?"

"Oh, yes!" She said, pulling the papers with the others names on them from her dress pocket. "Here!"

"Wonderful. Shake them around in your hands like a bowl for me. Let us see who is the lucky number 2…" She picked up a folded slip of paper from Katherine´s hands, and unfolded it. Once she read the name, she smiled a little. "Interesting. Katherine, go tell her," She showed the name to her servant. "to meet me in the dining hall when dinner is ready. As for the others, have them eat their shares in the guest hall. And tell Anne and Margaret to prepare my dress."

"At once Milady! … Uh, which dress?"

"The special occasion one." Ivy said with a wink. "Now off you go."

"M-Mistress Valentine! Mistress Valentine!" Ivy and Katherine both turned to see who was shouting from across the parlour, which turned out to be Anne. She ran towards the duo with panic in her voice.

"Ah, Anne. Good timing, I was just telling Katherine to- guh!" Anne flung herself at her mistress´s legs, hugging them for dear life as she cried. "Y-you're home! You're home! Oh thank God you're home! So many questions… So many questions! Gaah…"

Ivy and Katherine looked at each other, both equally baffled and dumbfounded over what was happening before them.

"What on earth happened?!"

**:::::**

The evening wore its blanket of darkness outside. Ivy could see it so clearly from her seat at the magnificent dinner-table, lit candles decorated across the wooden surface. The small flames danced in their light, unveiling the darkness in the room.

The white-haired woman sighed with content as she watched the window, waiting for her second date. She wore a dress that she rarely used unless it was a very special occasion. Wine-red in colour, its short sleeves bared little skin due to her long arm-gloves of matching colours. The dress was frilly at the bottom, revealing a silvery-white underneath it. Her hair was back to its messy, unkempt state with bangs, and she now wore a thin choker resembling the thorny stalk of a rose.

She heard the doors open up, which brought her out of her light trance of watching the flawless window. She smiled at her newly arrived date, grinning even, as her date smirked back.

* * *

My my... Who indeed is the next lucky woman? Find out next time as Ivy continues her dating!

Hope you all enjoyed the update!

- GG


	7. Chapter 6: Game of Kisses part 2

Disclaimer: GrimGrave does not own Soul Calibur or its characters; they belong to Namco Bandai. GrimGrave does not make money out of writing fiction.

**A Rose Amongst Lilies**

**Chapter 6 – Game of Kisses part 2**

"You weren't expecting to have the dinner-date with me, were you?" Ivy said between her chuckles, eyeing her suitor with glee. The woman before her bowed with a grin before taking her seat. Ivy eyed the foreign clothes with delight; her suitor wore something that resembled the kimono, but was more pinkish white in colour and lacked any patterns. Tied together with a thin red sash, the bottom part resembled the bottom part of a dress, but it too lacked any rich adornments except for its beautiful green colour.

It was simple, but as Ivy had noted during her travels, Asians had an eye for details and finesse even for the simplest of handiworks and craftsmanship; their ordinary clothes were still a feast for eyes, and this was no different. Ivy was very pleased with her suitor's choice of clothes for the evening and she had to acknowledge that her suitor was looking very elegant, if not cute.

Her suitor giggled softly. "I was expecting to be the first one rather, so yes. But this could only end well…" Her eyes locked with Ivy's along with their smiles that matched. "After all, a candle lit dinner and alone time to boot…"

"Don't get your hopes up, Seong-Mina." Ivy's smile changed to a grin. "Do anything out of line and I might replace with the first person that comes to mind. And I would rather not have to do that; you look absolutely beautiful in your garb Seong-Mina… I assume its traditional Korean clothing?"

The brunette's face faded a few shades into crimson as she giggled. "Oh it's… It's just something I had lying around and I decided to bring with me… But Ivy yeon-in, could you… Could you do me one favour?"

Ivy arched an eyebrow in her sceptical display of distrust. "Depends what it is."

The Korean grinned back at her. "Just call me Mina."

Ivy flashed a toothy smirk back at her Korean date. "Consider it done. "

The doors opened up again, revealing Katherine and Anne walking inside with the dinner-participants' plates. Setting them down in front of the two women, the servants removed the silvery lids and revealed their dinner; roasted pheasant with equally roasted potatoes and vegetables, with cranberry jam on the side, together with a rich sauce. The servants bowed and took their leave, with Ivy smiling at them with a nod.

As the mistress of the house was about to indulge herself with the delicious meal before her, she caught sight of Seong-Mina's confused expression over the fork and knife. Ivy had seen her use the utensils before, but it appeared that Mina had not yet grown use to them which was understandable. But it didn't stop Ivy from chuckling at the sight of a pouting Seong-Mina – after all, it was just too adorable to ignore.

"How people manage to eat with these, I'll never understand…" The Korean said, still pouting, as she clumsily dug into the pheasant meat with her fork while holding said meat still with her knife.

Ivy allowed her laughter to grow slightly louder and bolder. It was funny to see Mina work with the food the wrong way. "Mina, you're using them the wrong way. You use the fork to keep the meat from moving while cutting with the knife, not the other way around."

"Oh…" Seong-Mina quickly corrected herself, and began to cut the meat the proper way. Her light blush however, did not disappear from her lovely face. Partly because of Ivy's snickering, but it was alright. Seong-Mina loved everything about Ivy, and it was a joy to see her smile at her for once. "My apologies yeon-in… You've had this dinner beautifully planned and yet I-"

"Don't apologise. I could use with a laughter." Ivy said with a grin. "And besides, I don't expect this to be perfect by any means. I just want to spend time with each of you in private, to be social with one at the time and… see what happens. If anything, that cute pout you're sporting right now and the humour you've supplied are all a great plus."

Seong-Mina grinned sheepishly, but her blush and averted eyes told another story. Ivy snickered at the sight of the Korean being so bashful; she wasn't used to see her like this usually. Had it been any other circumstances, Ivy probably would be screaming at her right now to get lost.

And yet, she was having dinner with the Korean beauty. She was actually sitting down, engaged in a conversation with Seong-Mina that was calm, gentle and even humouring!

Ivy was actually enjoying being on this date with Seong-Mina. And while it shocked her initially, she almost relished in the thought.

"So tell me, Mina…" Ivy said, pausing only to delicately chew down another piece of pheasant meat. "About the writer you mentioned before… Yeo Ok was it? You mentioned she was Korea's first poetess. What else can you tell me, regarding her work?"

Seong-Mina lit up with a bright smile at the mentioned of literature. "Of course! She wrote the _Gonghuin_ or _A Medley for the Harp_ in your language, as I said before. It's a poem about Yeo-Ok's husband was rowing across a river when he saw an old man jump into the river in an attempt to swim across it. Sadly, the old man didn't make it and drowned, with his wife filled with such grief that she jumped into the river as well, singing and playing her lyre until she met the same fate…"

"That's… That's quite the sad tale. Still, I would love to read it someday…" Ivy replied, chewing on her food. "I still have a hard time seeing you as the girl who enjoys literature. You don't strike me as the type."

"On the contrary yeon-in…" Seong-Mina purred out. "I always read between my training. It was my favourite pastime since I was little. And once I read Gonghuin, I was hooked."

Ivy nodded. "I see…"

"What about you yeon-in?" Seong-Mina asked with a grin. "What is your favourite kind of literature? Any recommendations for your future spouse?"

Ivy chuckled. "Don't push it, _brat_. Still, I guess I enjoy the gothic novels, the tales of faraway lands and the supernatural… But classic romance novels and poetry are also part of my indulgence when engaged with literature. I enjoy those kinds of moments when you just relax into the silence, having a cup of warm tea at your side while reading a good book."

Seong-Mina nodded as she swallowed her food. "I understand perfectly… I used to sit outside if possible when I read, enjoying the nature as I read on. We should do it sometime."

"Sit outside together and read a book?" Ivy arched an eyebrow as if to emphasise her sceptical curiosity directed at the Korean, whom nodded with a grin.

"Exactly. Just you, me and the nature together with a good book. I could sit on your lap, or if you prefer…." She winked at her host. "You could sit on mine."

"Didn't I just tell you to not push it, Mina? Keep acting like that and I'll call back Taki for a second round." Ivy had of course not been serious with her statement, but Seong-Mina didn't need to know that – the expression on the Korean's face was so struck with apprehension and hysteria that it was hilarious, Ivy had to bit the inside of her cheek in order to not break out in laughter right then and there. Seong-Mina's face was flustered, her mouth slightly parted due to the shock as she stuttered forth some hasty apologies to Ivy's further enjoyment.

"P-please yeon-in! D-don't! I-I-I won't d-do anything! I p-promise! I'll b-behave!"

Ivy couldn't contain herself any longer. She broke her stern, yet coyly expression and laughed out loud in an uncharacteristic manner. She saw how the Korean gazed back at her with jaded eyes and features, but she ignored it. She laughed wholeheartedly until it was all spent, calming her down; once she had done so, she looked back at the still disarrayed Korean and smiled.

"Relax; you're not on that thin of an ice Mina. I'm pulling your leg, that's all." She said with a light sneer. As the Korean sighed in relief, Ivy eyed over at their plates; miraculously, their plates had been emptied of their food despite the seemingly short time they had spent together. Or Ivy had just missed it fly by. Either way, their dinner was now over, but she had no intention of their date to end just yet.

"Crude jokes aside," Ivy said. "how was the dinner? Rather different from your usual meals I can imagine."

Seong-Mina gleamed with mirth. "You have no idea! This… This was outstanding! The flavours were a delight to experience despite my initial distrust… I should ask for the recipe before I forget."

The noblewoman arched an eyebrow to match her smirk. "Oh? Let me guess, you plan on cooking this for me once you've become my spouse?" Seong-Mina's shoulders slumped at the remark. Her grin fell down into a solemn expression, her eyes not meeting Ivy's.

"No… I mean, yes I would prefer that… But it's more like so I can attempt cooking it if I get sent home."

A struck of guilt hit Ivy. Seong-Mina was perhaps the more bolder and outgoing of the four, but Ivy could see a new side of her now; she was actually, deep down, worried that she might lose. Granted, the others were as well most likely, but to hear Seong-Mina to be so open about it was almost staggering. "Don't tell me you've given up now Mina. Where's the feisty, forward Korean that wanted me to sit on her lap?"

Seong-Mina grinned sheepishly back at Ivy, scratching her neck as she did. "Well, you did tell me not to push it, so…"

"You can keep it moderate, no?" Ivy shot back with a smile. "I do enjoy some feisty behaviour if it's on a smaller scale. Now, let's get going shall we?"

The dazzled look crossed with her smirk was beaming on Seong-Mina's face.

**:::::**

"I like your idea of a perfect end." Seong-Mina said with a giggle, her hand locked with Ivy's as they walked through the night-clad city of London. The moon sat on its perch in the sky, its light pouring down on the two women in a gentle glow. The stars sparkled from their incredible distance, adorning the black velvet with their patterns for the couple to gaze upon with shared delight.

The noblewoman chuckled. "London may have its flaws, but the beauty of a walk in the moonlight is something that definitely makes it an enjoyable city. And said activity is definitely something I would like to share with such lovely company."

She felt the Korean squeeze her hand lightly. "Lovely company huh? Something you wish to tell me in subtlety, yeon-in?"

"Nothing besides what have already been said, Mina." Ivy scoffed. "You look very beautiful, and I've enjoyed spending time with you so far. But the same can be said about Taki, so don't think you have any advantage."

Ivy paused, eying her brunette friend. "Actually, I'll correct myself. You do have one tiny advantage that I highly enjoy…" She purred out, now using her free hand to teasingly scratch Seong-Mina under her chin continuously. The Korean's face grew a few shades darker with red as Ivy continued. "I didn't think I would be able to share my interest of literature with any of you, seeing how you all act so vulgar around each other… So it was quite the surprise when you revealed to be well-read."

Seong-Mina smirked back at her host despite the blush she sported. "An advantage that might ultimately matter in the end?"

She felt Ivy's gentle finger tap against her lips. "Who knows. But for now, let's just enjoy the moonlight Mina. I rather not have this night gone to waste."

Still holding hands, the two looked up at the black, elegant sky, simply enjoying the moment. The wind was faint, but cool. The noise of the busy city was barely heard. There was nothing but the two of them, and the radiant full moon above, the eye of witness of a brewing affection between two people and nothing else.

It made Ivy think back on how it had all started. How she had thought the idea of travelling around in foreign lands was a good idea, to learn more about the world outside of England and gain knowledge about new cultures. And how drastically it had changed when one girl after other had started to take a strong liking towards her, and how they now occupied her own home! It was so surreal, it sounded like the summary for a novel. She had hated it with all her heart, even wanting the women dead at her feet for their assumption of her being homosexual amongst other things.

Yet, how could she complain about this? She had spent the entire day and most of the night now with two very gorgeous, foreign women that pined for her, and she had had a lot of fun with the walk through the park, the dinner and the talk about literature. She could see it in front of her like a vision, spending her days with someone at her side and doing activities such as this.

Ivy was growing more and founder of the idea of having a spouse. A mate. A lover.

And both Taki and Seong-Mina had proved to be very alluring candidates so far. Ivy couldn't help but wonder what Talim and Xianghua would be like when she courted them.

She felt Seong-Mina's eyes stare at her – the gaze was so heated, it dispelled the cold night wind, prompting Ivy to glance over at the Korean. Her eyes shimmered in the dark with a yearning that Ivy could relate to, but she at least had self-control and clarity of mind. She grinned back at the brunette as she gave her hand a gentle squeeze.

"You're supposed to look at the moon, idiot." She joked. "You're missing out on something beautiful here."

"I wouldn't know about that…" Seong-Mina purred back. "I like to think that I'm watching the most divine thing in the world… Clad in red and adorned with silver… I'm sorry yeon-in, but the beauty of nature is nothing compared to your elegance… Or am I pushing things too far?"

Ivy stared back at Seong-Mina. Her words, her expression, those eyes all pleaded and yearned so strongly for a place within the noblewoman's heart; it was as if she was a beacon in the dark with her aura of amore. Granted, Ivy felt the same way, but not for especially one of them yet. It was the thought of having a lover that she yearned for, not having especially Seong-Mina instead of the others.

For the moment at least.

"Come." Ivy replied. She led Seong-Mina over to the nearby bench and sat down, before pulling the Korean onto her lap. Seong-Mina's face blushed even further, eyes jaded.

"Y-yeon-in..?"

"At least now you should be satisfied enough to actually look at the moon." Ivy answered, avoided eye-contact entirely in favour of gazing upon the moon. Feeling an arm snake around her neck in a tender manner, Ivy hoped that her Korean date was paying attention to the moon for once.

"You're right. The moon is beautiful tonight."

**::::::**

"I have to admit," Ivy began, leading her date into the halls of the mansion. "you behaved extraordinary well tonight, which was… Well I expected you to flirt even more now when you had me for yourself."

The Korean giggled softly, sheepishly scratching her neck as she did. "I wanted to, but… Well, I'm being serious you know. I have to show it as well. That is why I won't ask for a kiss."

Ivy stared back at Seong-Mina with a surprised expression. "Is that right?" The Korean simply nodded back. "You keep surprising me Mina. Taki insisted on getting a goodnight-kiss after all, but you don't want one?"

"I do want one." Seong-Mina admitted. "But you told me not to push it. So I won't ask you for one, since I had a great time anyway."

"Honesty… How refreshing…" Ivy purred out at the now flushed girl. The impish behaviour of Ivy sprung back to her mind as an idea, mixed with her own feelings acted together. She gently cupped Seong-Mina's chin between her thumb and index-finger to keep it in place. "I do like when people are honest… I feel they should be rewarded. And since I too had a great time tonight…"

"Yeon-in…?"

She felt Ivy's lips melt against hers in a chaste, but lingering kiss in a moment that felt like hours. Once they withdrew from each other, flustered and panting, Ivy grinned back at her. "Now, go get some sleep alright? And thank you for a wonderful night."

"L-Likewise…" Seong-Mina panted out with a silly smile on her reddened face. "G-Goodnight Ivy…."

"Goodnight Mina." The white-haired noblewoman said with glee a she watched the Korean disappear at the top of the stairs. Once she was sure she was alone, Ivy let out a giddy snicker with a lustful smirk plastered on her full lips. The thought of having a lover, one to toy around with, was a slowly growing fondness that she began to welcome with steadily opened arms.

* * *

To be continued in the next chapter.


End file.
